A Whole New World
by MillenniumPrincess
Summary: After saving their world from the return of the Shadow Games, Yugi and his friends start a new journey by seeking out the shards of the Cobalt Star. Their adventure begins when they find an enchanted garden that serves as a gateway to new worlds. The first world they are sent to is the world of Pokémon where they will become trainers and travel through the Johto Region.
1. Prologue

Prologue

There is an old saying all people are familiar with: 'All good things come to those who wait.' It's a powerful philosophy and there is also a lesson in it. It reminds us that patience can be rewarding to those who have mastered it. Another twist in it is that something amazing can come to you when you're not looking for it. It's important to never give up as you try to reach your goal, but it is just as important to be steady. But the beauty in not even knowing what you're looking for is that it can come to you even if not in the way you expected it to. Those who look ahead as they try to reach their goals will find that their hardships will be all the worthwhile and their rewards will come sooner than they think.

It's the same for a group of friends who have also become a group of heroes. They are relieved that their journey has come to an end and they can return to their normal lives. But as they look back on the things they learned on their quests, they wonder what new adventures await them over that next horizon. But that sensation is closer than any of them may think.


	2. The Ties That Bind

The Ties That Bind

Now that Yugi and his friends had defended the world from the return of the Shadow Games and helped the pharaoh to fulfill his destiny, they could now start the course of their own paths. But there was no telling what would be in store for them. But they knew this much; their adventures together were far from finished. After all, they were the Heroes of Millennia, chosen by the Great Goddess herself to fulfill her wishes and ensure that mankind would remain in peace. The group was made up of four young warriors. There was Yugi, a shy-natured, but courageous and graceful leader, followed by Joey, a strong-hearted and loyal companion, then Kaiba, the oldest and smartest of the team, and finally, Emily, a magically talented princess. The team knew that even after the Millennium Items had been sealed away, the Millennium Star itself was still among them. That was how they knew that it wasn't over yet.

Kaiba had invited his companions to spend the night at his home. The team camped out on the roof of the building where they could feel the breeze and look at the stars. Yugi and Emily were leaning on the edge of the balcony while Joey was lying on his back.

Yugi was the first to speak up. "I never realized how pretty the city looked at night with the lights."

"I bet it would be even prettier if they didn't have lights," Emily suggested. "Then we could see the true beauty of the night."

Then they both looked up at the sky. There were some stars, but not a lot. "I guess you're right. The people of the ancient past had it a lot better than we did. They could see the sky for what it really was. But we hardly can since we've practically blinded ourselves."

Emily sighed and looked away. She began thinking about what things must have been like in the ancient past. That made her think about what she should expect to come her way now. She missed those great adventures because it helped her to learn about herself and the people she loved past and present. But there was a lot of tasks that were left unfinished. That was when she decided to tell Yugi straight out. "I've figured out my next journey, Yugi."

"You have?" Yugi asked as he faced his friend.

She nods and explains, "A lot of things happened in the ancient past that didn't get resolved. That was why it all started for us on the day you solved the Millennium Puzzle and we began our journeys with my father. But even though we were able to save our world from the return of the Shadow Games, I had a feeling our adventure in Egypt wasn't going to be our last." She stands up and says, "What I'm trying to say is, Yugi, although we helped my father regain his lost memories and help him pick up where he left off, there's still a lot that has to be done."

Yugi nods in agreement. "The rest of us have felt the same way."

"And I think I know the reason behind it," continued Emily. "It's because of the Millennium Star. It's still here. To me, that means there's a lot more that has to be done before its powers can be given back and I think I've figured it out. I have to make right what my mother did wrong," she said as a flashback played before her eyes. It was a scene of when the queen shattered the Cobalt Star into all of those fragments. "Now I don't know where that will lead me, but I'll be sure to let you and Joey and Téa and everyone else know whenever I can."

Yugi chuckled. He knew his friend too well. "You know, I've always admired your courage and strength, Emily, but your pride gets in your way sometimes." He holds her hand in his and asks, "You don't really think you're going to find all those Cobalt Star shards by yourself, do you? You need us, Emily; all of us."

She couldn't argue there. She really did need her friends on this mission because she knew it would be bigger than her. That was why she didn't want to get them involved; she didn't know what kinds of dangers would lie ahead. But that was also why Yugi and the others couldn't stand by and let Emily face it alone. And in the end, the Great Goddess would need all of her heroes for this task.

Emily smiles and places her hand over Yugi's. "You know, Yugi, I always thought I was lucky to have friends like you and Joey and Téa and Tristan and even Kaiba and Max. But now after all this time, I'm more than lucky. I feel blessed because you guys are more than my friends. You're also my family and I'll never find another one like the one I have."

Yugi nods and sighs and he and Emily hug each other. He always knew that lucky and blessed were two very different concepts. The first moment gives the impression that it's all pure luck, but after a while, it's viewed as a blessing and is cherished through the end. And Yugi felt that way about all of the people he loved every day of his life. That was why he never took any of his friends for granted and treasured each moment he shared with them.

Emily began looking back on her first adventures with her friends. "Hey, Yugi, remember when our first journey together began?"

Yugi wasn't sure what she was talking about. "You mean, our first journey as in yours and mine?"

She shakes her head. "I'm talking about when we all joined you in Duelist Kingdom. You wanted to face it on your own and not get us involved, but we went with you because we're your friends. Now I'm starting a journey and my friends want to come along."

Yugi understood and agreed. "It's really come to that, hasn't it?"

Emily nods and begins singing. _We were strangers starting out on a journey_

 _Never dreaming what we'd have to go through_

 _Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing_

 _At the beginning with you_

Yugi takes her hand and sings, _No one told me I was going to find you_

 _Unexpected, what you did to my heart_

 _When I lost hope, you were there to remind me_

 _This is the start,_ Emily sang with him.

Together, they sang, _And life is a road and I want to keep going_

 _Love is a river and I want to keep flowing_

 _Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey_

 _I'll be there when the world stops turning, I'll be there when the storm is through_

 _In the end, I want to be standing at the beginning with you_

Emily danced and sang, _We were strangers on a crazy adventure_

 _Never dreaming how our dreams would come true,_ Yugi sang.

 _Now here we stand, unafraid of the future, at the beginning with you_

They danced with each other as they repeated the chorus. _Knew there was somebody somewhere, had me look in the dark_

 _Now I know my dream will live on, I've been waiting so long, nothing's gonna tear us apart_. And they repeated the chorus once more.

 _Life is a road and I want to keep going, love is a river and I want to keep going on_

They paused, and Emily sang on her own, _Starting out on a journey_

She and Yugi started singing together again. _Life is a road and I want to keep going, love is a river and I want to keep flowing_

 _In the end, I want to be standing at the beginning,_ they pause, and finish by singing, _with you,_ and they lean their heads together.

A few hours later, Kaiba finally finished up some last-minute reports and was able to join his friends. But when he came to the roof of the company building, he saw that Joey and Emily were sound asleep. But Yugi was still awake. Kaiba crossed the floor and was careful not to wake the two blondes as he approached his closest friend. "Hey, Yugi," he whispered.

"Hi, Kaiba," he replied.

"I brought ice cream," the brunette offered. "Do you like chocolate or strawberry?" In answer, Yugi turned around and pointed to the bowl filled with chocolate ice cream. There was even a shortbread cookie and fraction of a chocolate bar to go with it. This left Kaiba with the bowl containing the strawberry ice cream filled with slices of strawberries and shortcake crumbles.

As they ate their ice cream, they began thinking back on their past adventures and how much they had grown. Kaiba was the first to speak up. "You know, Yugi, I didn't want to admit it at first, but you changed my life on the day we met." Of course, on that day, Kaiba and Yugi didn't start out as friends. But Yugi did feel in his heart that Kaiba was a friend who needed to be rescued from the darkness and brought into the light. But even Kaiba was a big influence on Yugi as well. All those times the brunette pushed his friend helped bring out the hero of courage in Yugi.

When Kaiba finished eating, he put his bowl aside and said quietly, "Umm, Yugi…" Yugi stopped and faced his friend. "I know I don't say this as often as I should, but thank you." Kaiba looks up and speaks more clearly. "You've always been there for me and never gave up on me. Of all of your friends, you were the first to see the good in me. For that, you were brave enough to try to bring out the best in me; to help me to use my heart and not my head all the time."

"Do you really mean that, Kaiba?"

The brunette nods. "You challenged me to be my best and bring out the best in me. You saw me for who I was instead of what I was trying to be. And as I began to open up to you, I decided I didn't like what I was trying to become because no matter how hard I would try, I would just force myself into being something I'm not. But you helped me accept myself for who I really was. And looking at it another way, you were my friend who was always there for me when I needed you. I didn't see it back then because I didn't want to see it. But after being surrounded by you and Wheeler and Briar, I finally do see it."

As Yugi listened to Kaiba, he could sense the kindness and appreciation in his wisdom. And he felt he had to give it back. "You know, Kaiba, you've helped me a lot in the same way." To explain what he means, he starts thinking about their match in Duelist Kingdom. Back then, the fate of a loved one was at stake for the both of them. Neither one knew that Yugi's grandfather and Kaiba's brother were in the same situation and therefore didn't know how far the duelists were willing to go.

In that duel, Kaiba was willing to risk his life to save his little brother. And he could have died had Yugi not conceded the match. "After what happened, I was so afraid; I made a vow never to duel again. I feared that if I did, the pharaoh would hurt any opponent I would face in any duel. I was afraid he would risk their lives to claim victory. But my friends wouldn't give up on me. They gave me the strength to get back up. And I knew I had to break my vow if I wanted to save you and Mokuba and my grandfather. I dueled again, but I was still afraid to trust the pharaoh completely. He promised me he would never risk my opponent's life no matter what the challenge and working with him helped me warm up to him."

"Wow," was all Kaiba could say. But he also knew that Yugi had a lot more to say about this, so he didn't want to interrupt.

Yugi did still have more to say. "You know, I didn't think of this before, but maybe there was a challenge hidden within all of it."

"I agree," said Kaiba. Though he didn't want to interrupt, he had something he wanted to share. "It was part of helping you awaken as the hero of courage. After that duel, you became a coward on the inside and just as afraid on the outside. But you were able to witness the strength your friends displayed because they were fighting for you. And you knew that you had to use as much strength if you wanted to fight for those you cared about. It wasn't an easy journey."

This time, Yugi interrupted and said, "But it wouldn't have been possible if you hadn't risked your life that day. You helped me to start on my path to becoming the hero of courage. They say that fear is the necessity of finding inner strength and bravery and if I hadn't been so afraid, I probably would have never learned what true courage was all about. So thank you, Kaiba."

The brunette was quiet for a second, then smiled and returned the gesture. "And thank you for saving my life that day, Yugi. You did what needed to be done for the both of us. For me, I could live on and you would begin to awaken as the hero you were destined to be. The Great Goddess made no mistake in choosing you and though we didn't realize it at the time, that match was the most important duel of our lives. If you hadn't stepped in and stopped your attack, I would have died back there. But I'm still here because of you. I should have shown more appreciation sooner to you and your friends."

"Well, you're able to do that now," said Yugi. This was actually the greatest that the both of them had ever felt towards each other. They were showing the appreciation they deserved for a long time. And now the bond between them was stronger than ever.

Out in the city, Max needed to fly around and stretch her wings. Flying around at night always seemed to relax her. When she saw the gang camping out on the roof of KaibaCorp, she decided to pay them a visit. When she got down, saw that they were all asleep except for Kaiba. Yugi climbed into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes. Kaiba smiled and sighed. Max didn't want to wake them up, so she followed Kaiba back inside. Of course, the brunette already sensed her presence, so he didn't mind the company.

"Hey, Max," Kaiba greeted. "What brings you here?"

"Nothing," she answered. "I just needed to get out. When I saw you guys, I thought I'd say, 'hi.'"

"Really," Kaiba asked. "That's nice of you."

Max had noticed a change in Kaiba's attitude and wondered what was up. "So, uhh, what's this thing with you and Yugi?"

"What thing?"

"You know," Max was saying. "All of a sudden, you're being nice to him and his friends."

"Oh, that." Kaiba thought for a minute, then answered, "Well, I was just thinking and I got this feeling that I should show more affection and appreciation to them for a change and well, it actually makes me feel good. I felt a little bad from being hateful towards them a lot, but now that I'm friendlier to them, I feel better."

"Well, that's weird," said Max.

"What's weird about it?" Kaiba asked.

Max shrugged and replied, "Well, you were never this nice to anybody before and now all of a sudden, you're nice to Yugi and his friends all the time and, well, I don't know." She pauses for a second, then says, "I'm just trying to understand, you know." She was telling the truth. Max had never seen Kaiba express kindness and understanding to anyone else except his little brother and she was baffled.

The brunette was actually just beginning to understand it too. He hadn't exactly been this way for a long time. "I guess it's because deep down inside, I cared a lot about Yugi and thought of him as my friend. I felt the same way towards the others, but was too proud to admit how I really felt towards them. And people can change too, you know. It just comes naturally. Try something different and if you like it, you can stick with it. That happened to me when I finally decided to be part of the gang."

Max was intrigued. She could see that Kaiba had really changed a lot since she last saw him. But she decided this shouldn't be new to her. Even she had felt this way for Joey and the others. Max smiled and said, "You know, Kaiba, I'm impressed with what you've become. You've gotten softer, wiser, and you're finally surrounded by people who care a lot about you and can give you all that you deserved."

"And what's that?" Kaiba wondered.

"A family and its affection and support," she answered. "You deserved all of that as a kid, but never got it growing up. But now that you finally have it, you've become a better person than you were before and well, I actually really like this new side of you."

Kaiba was silent for a minute, then smiled and said, "Me too, Max."

As Max saw Kaiba smiling at her, she noticed that the expression it carried was less firm and more soft, like the kind he used to have when he was a child. Max smiled back and decided to fly home. Kaiba was ready to call it a night too, so they bid each other good night and went their separate ways.


	3. The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden

The next morning, the team washed up and got together for breakfast. As they ate, they began discussing the next mission that would soon be at hand. Emily decided to tell it straight out. "I think it's time to start a new journey."

"What's that?" Joey asked.

"Do you remember when the Millennium Items were sealed after we helped the pharaoh fulfill his destiny?" Yugi asked. "Well, the Millennium Star is still with us."

"Well, it's not necessarily one of the Millennium Items," said Kaiba. "But the fact that the Star itself is still here would mean something."

Emily nods and explains, "It's not over yet. Although we saved mankind, there's another force at large: the Dark Lord Cobalt. The Star itself used to be whole before it was shattered. Max already has one shard, but the others are still missing. Maybe if we find the rest, we can uncover the mystery behind the Stars and find out why the Gods are here."

Joey swallowed a bite of his food and asked, "And how exactly do you propose we're gonna do that? They could be anywhere, couldn't they?"

"True," Emily replied. "But remember, Millennia and Cobalt can sense one another's presence. Somehow, I'll know if we happen to come across a Cobalt Star shard." But that wasn't the only thing that had to be taken into account. As established earlier, Max was the guardian of the Cobalt Star shard and possessed all of the Dark Lord's powers. There was no denying she would also be involved and want to seek out the remaining Cobalt Star shards.

As optimistic and enthusiastic as ever, Joey drank from his glass and sighed. "Well, things have been a little boring lately and I could go for some excitement and adventure. So count me in." It was the life he was accustomed to anyway; helping his friends on great adventures.

Kaiba was reluctant about the idea. He had a company to run and a little brother to take care of. But then again, refusal was never an option and he would get involved sooner or later. And he didn't want to be left out of all the fun and he also knew that his friends would be helpless without him. Thinking about it, he decided to come along. "Well, I don't think I'll regret this, so count me in. The team wouldn't be complete without me anyway."

Yugi was in agreement. "We'll help you find all those Cobalt Star shards," he promised Emily. "After all, we're a team."

Emily was more than thankful to her friends. "Thanks, you guys. This means a lot to me. I know there might be danger, but even so, there might also be fun in it."

"That's why we wouldn't miss it for the world," said Joey.

Kaiba finished eating and wiped his mouth. He removed his napkin and said, "Well, now that that's settled, where do we begin?"

Emily spoke up and said, "Well, I have a theory that when the Cobalt Star was shattered, the shards weren't scattered to random places. Maybe the Dark Lord chose his hiding places for his shards. But then, there's another mystery, such as the mysterious disappearances of monsters, clans, and magical entities. We were told that they left to start over again in new worlds."

"Hold on, what are you saying?" Joey asked.

"I'm saying that maybe the Cobalt Star shards could be hidden anywhere not just in this world, but maybe in another world."

"That's impossible," Kaiba immediately said.

Yugi disagreed. "What if there are other worlds besides our own?" He had to ask because he was thinking about what happened in their battle against the Great Leviathan. "After Lugia helped us defeat Dartz and destroy the Leviathan, he was somehow able to leave our world and return home to his."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot that," said Joey. "But even if there are other worlds, how would we be able to go to them?"

Emily pressed her hand against her chest. "I'm sure the Gods have their ways," she said quietly. She and her friends were also promised that one day, doors to new worlds would open for them. She had been looking forward to when that time would come, but also wondered if it would even be possible.

After breakfast, Kaiba escorted his friends to the front door. They were about to say their goodbyes when Emily suddenly felt a sharp jolt in her chest. To her, that only meant that the Great Goddess was trying to convey a message of a sort.

Yugi saw Emily holding her hand against her chest. "Emily, what's wrong?"

"It's the Millennium Star," she answered. "I think the Great Goddess is trying to tell me something." She could hear Millennia's voice in her head, telling her where to go. Emily turned around and began running through the streets.

All of her friends followed her. "Emily, slow down," Joey called out. "Where are you going?"

"This way," she said as she continued running north. "The Star is guiding me this way!"

"Emily, wait for us," Yugi cried, trying his best to keep up. He couldn't help being a slow runner. He was going as fast as his little legs could carry him.

They finally stopped when they came to a dark alley. "Why are we stopping?" Kaiba asked.

Emily was just as confused, but Millennia urged her to keep going. Slowly, she passed through. The others were confused and concerned when they saw her fade into the darkness. They followed with caution. After walking in the darkness, it started to get bright again at the end of the path. As they made it to the end, the team found that the alley didn't lead them to another street in the city. Instead, they found themselves standing in what looked like the most beautiful garden any of them had ever seen. The grass was fresh and green, there were beds of flowers of many different kinds, bushes and shrubs filled with berries, trees filled with all kinds of fruits and nuts, crops with all kinds of vegetables, and even a pond bigger than a soccer field.

"This place is… amazing," Yugi said in awe.

"Where have you led us?" Kaiba asked Emily.

But she didn't answer. She was just as awestruck as her friends. At the same time, her feelings about this place were different. _I've seen this place before,_ Emily thought to herself. _Was it in my dreams?_

"I don't remember this being a part of the city," said Joey.

"If it was, we'd have known about it," said Kaiba. He tried using the receiver in his jacket to contact headquarters so he could get a location on where he and his friends were, but there was no signal.

Emily looked down at her wristwatch and noticed that the hands weren't moving anymore. She wondered if it was just like before and time had stopped for her and her friends. She felt that burn in her chest again and wondered what was going on. The only way to know for sure was to release the Millennium Star. So she placed her hands close to her chest and released the Star from her heart. When it emerged, the Star began radiating a great light and taking on a human form. The figure was a woman with pale skin, flowing white hair, and an aurora-like dress. It was the Great Goddess herself.

"Welcome," she said in an angelic voice. "Welcome, my heroes. I have been expecting you."

"It's her," Emily whispered. "The Great Goddess Millennia!"

"No way!" gasped Joey. This was the first time any of them had ever seen the Great Goddess in her true form. Joey didn't want to be disrespectful, so he got on his knees and bowed before her.

"At ease, my children," Millennia said softly. "I still remain a star, but in this garden, I am able to communicate with all of you."

"So in truth, it was you who led us here, not Emily," said Yugi.

"That is correct," said Millennia. "Welcome to my Secret Garden. I created this place as a sanctuary to protect my children from Cobalt's evil forces. Like the Shadow Realm, it is a world of its own, separate from yours. But you can come and go from here as you wish, as it is a sanctuary and a paradise protecting all who enter from all dangers on the outside." She turns her head and tells everyone to look around. "There is plenty of food to go around and it is for everybody who comes here. The water is clean enough to swim in and healthy enough to drink. The earth here is fertile, producing healthy plants and providing the cleanest air."

"Wow," Joey was saying. "It _is_ a paradise!"

"The Secret Garden is a sacred realm in which forces of evil cannot enter," continued Millennia. "To be honest, I wanted to bring all of you here when my shards first reconnected, but it was difficult because of the circumstances."

"What circumstances?" Kaiba asked.

Emily knew what the Great Goddess was talking about. "When the Millennium Star was first restored, our team as the warriors of Millennia was still divided. And when we finally came together, our world was still threatened by the forces of evil."

"Yes, but now that your world is safe and you are together again, I am finally able to bring you to my world. You see, I have something I need to share with you." The Great Goddess explained that she knew everybody's concerns from the past few days about finding the Cobalt Star shards and that was why she brought them here. "Your assumptions are correct. The Cobalt Star shards that you seek are in worlds apart from your own. And I am able to open the gates to those worlds."

"You can do that?" Yugi asked.

"I can, but because my powers are still restoring, I can only open one door at a time," Millennia answered. "This paradise you stand in will now serve as a gateway to new worlds."

"What kinds of worlds are you going to send us to?" Emily wondered.

The Great Goddess smiled and answered, "Worlds that are no different from yours. They will be filled with monsters, magic, adventures, everything you ever knew and dreamed of. But be warned, once you pass through a door to a new world, you will not be able to return to this place until you have claimed the Cobalt Star shard it conceals."

"Does that mean that if we fail, we could be trapped in that world forever?" Emily asked.

"It is a cruel fate, but it is the fate that will befall you," Millennia answered.

"So once we go to a new world, there's no going back," Kaiba said, summarizing the point. Although the group had dealt with that predicament before, something inside told them that it would be different this time. But, as usual, they wouldn't let that stop them. They boys already promised Emily that they were going to help her on her journey and they were going to keep their promise. And like she said earlier, there will be danger, but there may also be some fun.


	4. The Gateway to a New World

The Gateway to a New World

Before the group could begin their journey, they had to take care of a few things back home like getting packed up for the trip and letting people know they would be going away. Many of Kaiba's associates were used to him going away for long periods of time and would always make sure the company would be in good hands. This time was no different. And as usual, there would be no telling how long he would be gone for.

The others took that thought into consideration. Joey cleaned out his refrigerator of food that would perish while he would be gone and fixed up some snacks and treats for the trip. Emily spoke to her bosses at work and requested vacation time off. They agreed that she was due for a break anyway. After the disturbance she had with her father with the trials at court and the mishap he had before returning home, Andrew and Andrea figured it would be best if their assistant took time off. Though all that trouble happened a little over a month ago, the twin merchants had been urging Emily to take time for herself. It wasn't getting in her way with work, but they didn't want her to get too emotionally sick.

After taking time off from work, Emily returned to her home and began going through the food in her refrigerator and pantries. She decided not to let anything go to waste and start baking goods. Her calico kitten Avalon picked up the scent of sugar and chocolate and nuts and fruits and walked into the kitchen. When Emily saw her friend coming her way, she knew she would have to consider finding a pet sitter to look after Avalon.

Avalon liked watching Emily bake, though she knew she couldn't eat any of the sweets. "Is this what humans mean when they say, 'it puts bread on the table' and 'I've decided to bring my work home with me?'"

"In more ways than one," Emily replied as she mixed the ingredients together. But what was happening right now did make those statements quite literal. Because baking does keep bread on the table and Emily was working in her own home.

Curious as ever, Avalon had more questions. "Are you making special treats for your friends?"

Emily decided to tell it to her friend straight out. "I'm going away for a while. So I'm using up all my food so none of it goes to waste while I'm gone. And as an added treat, my friends and I will have food for our journey."

"You're going away? Where?"

Emily was silent for a minute. "Umm, it's a surprise." She had to say that though she didn't really know. The Great Goddess wasn't specific on where she was sending her warriors.

Avalon was always sad whenever Emily said she would be going away. She understood that her friend had school and work, but a vacation didn't seem right or even fair because the little calico couldn't come along. Avalon even often wondered who would take care of her. "Well, what am I supposed to do while you're gone?"

Emily stopped working, washed her hands, and picked Avalon up from the ground. "I'm only going to be gone for a few days. And don't worry, I'll call my friends and ask if any of them will be able to look after you for me."

Avalon knew most of Emily's friends because they often came over to her house. It took a while for the little calico to warm up to any of them, but after a while, she decided she liked Emily's friends. She just didn't like being away from her housemate for too long because she would get worried that she had been abandoned. It couldn't be helped. Avalon was still only a few months old.

As promised, Emily called her friends while she resumed baking. Some of them were sick and couldn't get out of bed and others had to change shifts at work or attend to their activities. Luckily, Rafael said he would be happy to take care of Avalon while Emily would be gone. After all, he was the one who found her in the first place and gave her to Emily. So it was settled. Rafael would look after Avalon for the next few days.

Considering that she would be gone for a long time, Emily wondered if it would be better to let Avalon stay with the bikers in their house instead of having them come over to her house. But Avalon is young and insecure and may not like staying in their house. But the kitten promised Emily that she would behave and like it with them. After all, she met the bikers before she met Emily. That was back when she was lost and starving and she stumbled into their home looking for something to eat. Accepting Avalon's promise, Emily coaxes the kitten into her carrier and drops her off at the bikers' home with food and her bed and a litter tray. Rafael, Alister, and Valon wish Emily well on her way and promise her that they'll take care of Avalon and Avalon promises to be good.

Yugi didn't spend a lot of time thinking about what he would need for the trip. He had been going on journeys before and he figured he knew what he needed. He packed his clothes, his sleeping bag, a first aid kit, and other things he would need. He also made sure he had enough money on hand.

After making sure they had everything they needed, the group met up in the park. They agreed it was best to meet up together in one common area than return to the Garden individually. "Is everyone all set?" Kaiba asked.

"Sure am," Joey answered. "I knew it wouldn't be enough just to pack the simplest things. That's why I made sure I wouldn't be leaving without going through all the food in my kitchen. I knew I had stuff that would have to be gotten rid of sooner or later and it was a good thing we were getting out of here. Now I don't have to worry about anything going bad."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Typical, as usual, thinking with your stomach," he muttered. "This isn't a picnic."

"Well, it never hurts to have food for the trip," Emily was saying. "I did the same thing and made snacks and treats."

"When you put it that way, what you guys did was smart," Yugi complemented. "You made the most of the food you had that would be due to perish and we won't go hungry on our journey."

Emily nods in agreement. "I've always loved travel, anyway; the open road, the wind in my face, and the heat of the sun beating down on me."

"Yeah," Kaiba was saying, "well, how are we going to travel? Did anyone think of that?"

"No, but I'm sure all the arrangements will be made once the Great Goddess sends us off," Emily figured. Speaking of the Great Goddess, it was time for the heroes to return to the Secret Garden and begin their pilgrimage.

When they got back, Millennia had a few last words for her heroes. "I have one last statement to mention. Once a world has been rescued after the Cobalt Star shard has been obtained, you will be able to return to that world whenever you wish. You can even bring your friends along with you. And any friends that you might make in the other worlds will also be welcome to come to this Garden and see new worlds as well. But I also have to warn you, I know I said the worlds you will visit and the challenges you face will be no different from your past adventures, but that does not mean the journey will be easy. Each new world will prove to have more difficult challenges than the previous. You will be tested in every way possible in physical and inner strength. Use all that you have learned in the past and all that you believe in today as you face your challenges and all will be successful along the way. And along the way, you will realize that it is not just the four of you who must stay together and work together, but all of your friends."

"Yes, Millennia," the warriors said in unison.

"One last thing, I have a gift for each of you; a gift that will help you on your journey." She uses her magic to create bracelets for her heroes. A red bracelet materializes around Kaiba's left wrist, a blue one materializes around Yugi's left wrist, a white one materializes around Emily's wrist, and a yellow one materializes around Joey's wrist. "Look closely at those bracelets, my heroes."

They did take a closer look and saw colorful stones in the middle. They were round and smooth like pearls and colorful like an aurora. When they saw the DNA-like pattern in the middle, Yugi and his friends realized what they were. "These are Keystones," Yugi saw saying, "They're just like the ones in the Pokémon game."

Joey's eyes widened at that last statement. "Hold on, does this mean-? Are you sending us to-?"

"You guess correctly," Millennia replied. "I know you were promised that you would one day be able to see the world of the Magical Creatures you now call Pokémon. It is time for that promise to be fulfilled. This will be the first world you will be sent to."

Yugi and his friends were exhilarated. Neither of them could believe that they were actually going to go to the world of Pokémon. They knew they were promised, but they couldn't believe that this was happening. But they quickly remembered all that they were talking about. There may be fun along the way, but there will also likely be danger because of the mission. That's why they can't be too excited. After all, it's not just a game.

The Great Goddess knew just as much and that was why she wished the best for her heroes. "If you are ready, my heroes, I will now open the door to world of Pokémon." A light shines brightly and Millennia returns to her form as a star.

After admiring their Keystones, the heroes stare at the door in front of them. "I… guess this is it," Yugi said softly.

"Uh-huh," Kaiba responded.

"Okay then," Emily said as she approached the door. She gripped the handle and pulled it and as the door was opening, it revealed a light. The heroes pick up their supplies and begin walking.

Joey was still having a hard time containing his enthusiasm. "I can't believe we're doing this." He raises his voice and cheers, "We're actually finally going to the world of Pokémon!"

"Don't get too excited," Kaiba warned him. "This won't be all fun and games." But he was just as excited and knew this would be an adventure of a lifetime.


	5. A Whole New World

A Whole New World

After passing through the door, the heroes looked around and found themselves standing in the middle of a forest. Not quite what any of them had expected. They all thought they were going to be sent to a town like in the game or in the animated series. That wasn't the only surprise. As they all looked at each other, the heroes noticed that their clothes had changed too. Yugi was wearing the hero's clothes; a blue jacket over a white t-shirt and light blue jeans and sneakers. Emily was dressed like a rich girl with a white dress, white sandals, white gloves reaching her shoulders, and a frilly white hat. Kaiba was wearing the clothes of a Dragon Tamer; a black and red uniform with an orange cape and red gloves and black boots. Joey was wearing an orange jacket over a yellow t-shirt and light blue jeans and brown shoes.

"Check it out," Joey says, admiring his new clothes. "Looks like each world comes with its own unique wardrobe."

Emily looked inside her purse and noticed that her cash had changed into the currency of this world. "I guess if we're going to be here, we're really going to have to be part of this world."

"But where do we go from here?" Kaiba asked.

"I'm sure there's a town nearby," Yugi wondered. "Once we get there, we can figure out where the Great Goddess sent us." His friends agreed and began walking through the forest. On the way, they saw a blue light in the distance. They decided to go and check it out.

They came to a lake and saw a mysterious Pokémon standing on a platform. It noticed their presence and leapt away further into the woods.

"Did you see that?" Emily asked.

Yugi nods and says, "It looked like a big blue dog."

"You don't think it could have been-?" Emily wondered.

"Who knows?" Joey asked. "But I can tell you one thing: already this is awesome!" His friends agreed and continued on their path through the woods.

As they walked, they all began singing.

Yugi was the first to start. _Everybody wants to be a master, everybody wants to show their skills_

 _Everybody wants to get there faster, make their way to the top of the hill_

His friends joined in and sang, _Each time you try,_

 _Gonna get just a little bit better,_ continued Yugi.

 _Each step you climb,_ his friends added.

 _There's one more step up the ladder_. He paused, then continued, _It's a whole new world we live in, it's a whole new way to see_

 _It's a whole new place with a brand new attitude, but you still gotta catch 'em all and be the best that you can be_

Emily decided to take up the next part. _Everybody wants to make a statement, everybody needs to call their mark_

 _Stand alone in the victory circle, state their claim when the music starts_

 _Give it all you've got_ , the boys sang.

 _You can be the very best ever,_ added Emily.

 _Take your best shot_ , the boys added.

 _What you learn will come together._ She paused, then continued, _It's a whole new world we live in, it's a whole new way to see_

 _It's a whole new place with a brand new attitude, but you still gotta catch 'em all and be the best that you can be_

As they continued singing, the heroes finally came out of the forest and saw a town in the distance. It was New Bark Town. That was when Yugi and his friends figured out that the Great Goddess had sent them to the Johto Region. There was a little confusion and disappointment in this. When the heroes got their Keystones, they had wondered if they were going to the Kalos region. Or perhaps the journey was going to take place in the Kanto region where it all began.

The heroes decided to stop at the Pokémon Center to think things through. Joey wanted to think about giving the rest of their friends back home a call, but it wouldn't work. The phone numbers back home didn't exist in the Pokémon world.

"Now that we're here, it's time to plan our next move," said Yugi.

"Why do you suppose the Great Goddess sent us to the Johto Region," Joey asked, trying not to sound too disappointed.

Emily thought for a minute, then wondered, "Maybe the Cobalt Star shard we're looking for is somewhere in the Johto Region. And I have a feeling the only way to find it may not just be to travel the whole region, but to compete in the Johto Region."

Joey quickly recovered his enthusiasm. "You mean battle other trainers and collect gym badges? Oh, man, this is so exciting!"

Emily tried calming him down. "Let's not get carried away. First, we have to decide who is going to compete for the Johto league. And though we in this together, I don't think we can all do it." Then she faces Yugi and told him, "I think you should be the one to compete, Yugi."

Yugi was surprised at what he was hearing. "Me?"

"Yeah, it's your call," she told him.

"She's right, Yugi," Kaiba was saying, "It's times like these when decisions have to be made by the leader."

Yugi was outraged. "Wait a second, who made me in charge?"

The brunette reminded Yugi of the importance of his leadership. "Do you remember what happened when your soul was captured by Dartz? We nearly fell apart without you. But remembering how important you are to us kept us together so we could get you back. Besides, you always make the right choices because you've always been a great leader. Think about it, without your help, I would have lost my company."

"And Max and Bakura would have won the ultimate Shadow Game," Joey added.

"And Dartz would have killed me for sure," Emily added. "You can do it, Yugi."

"You can do it, Yugi," the blonde and brunette echoed.

This was a lot for Yugi to take in. He needed a minute to think. "So you're letting me be the one to decide and whatever I choose, you're willing to go with it?" All of his friends nod. "Well, then, I've decided," he paused, then declared, "I want Emily to do it."

"Say what?" she asked. She was not expecting this.

Neither were Joey or Kaiba, but they decided to go with Yugi's decision like they promised. "If that's what Yugi thinks, then I agree," said Kaiba. "Besides, you did sort of get us into this, so it's reasonable that you should compete for the Johto league."

Emily still wasn't too sure. "But what if I mess up?"

Joey sets his hand over her shoulder and promises her, "No one will blame you. Sure, we could get stuck here forever, but it won't be your fault. We agreed to join you and we're gonna support you all the way."

Listening to everyone's encouragement, Emily finally agrees to compete in the Johto league. But to do that, she would have to get her Pokémon from the professor like how all beginner trainers do. So everyone finished eating and decided to head to the Pokémon lab run by Professor Elm.

Just because it was decided that Emily would compete, didn't mean the boys couldn't choose a Pokémon either. When they all got to the lab, everyone was more than excited. They were finally going to become Pokémon trainers. Professor Elm immediately took notice of the group. "May I be of some assistance?"

"Hi," Yugi was saying, "we came to get our first Pokémon."

"Well, then, my young trainers, you've come to the right place." The professor led them all to the back where trainers could choose their Pokémon. First trainers were given a select option to choose one of three Pokémon. There was Chikorita, a grass-type, Cyndaquil, a fire-type, and Totodile, a water-type.

Yugi was the first to pick. He decided he wanted Chikorita. Everyone thought he made a good choice. Grass-type Pokémon are typically easy to raise. Not to mention Chikorita has a calm and collected nature and is always ready to take action when the going gets tough. Kaiba decided to be the next one to choose. He wanted Cyndaquil. Kaiba knew not to be fooled by Cyndaquil's adorable appearance. Fire-type Pokémon can be dangerous if not handled carefully. That left Joey with Totodile. There were no complaints. Totodile can be pretty optimistic and carefree. Joey knew he would get along well with his new friend.

Emily was happy for her friends, but also disappointed with herself. Now that all three starter Pokémon had been chosen, she couldn't make a choice. But before she could express her disappointment, she felt something rubbing her leg. She looked down and saw a furry brown Pokémon with a cream-colored tail tip and cream-colored fur around its neck. It was an Eevee; a unique Pokémon with different possible evolutionary forms.

Professor Elm smiled. "Well, my dear, it looks like Eevee is curious about you."

Emily got down to her knees and held out a hand. The Eevee was curious and sniffed her hand. Before fully approaching Emily, the Eevee calls out. Responding to the call were five more Eevee.

"I found these Eevee lurking around the lab searching for food," Professor Elm explained. "The poor creatures were hungry and murky. I assumed they were lost or abandoned, so I've been looking after them with the help of Nurse Joy. Many trainers have come here wanting to claim one of these Eevee as their first Pokémon, but it hasn't worked out."

"Why not," Yugi asked.

"These Eevee are quite inseparable," Professor Elm replied. One won't leave without the rest." To demonstrate, the professor picks up one Eevee and carries it to the front door. The rest of them follow.

Emily giggled. "That's cute. They're like family."

"It's nice that these Eevee are so close, but because of that, it's hard to find someone to take them all in," said the professor.

Emily felt her heart going out to the six Eevee. They were all so close and loved each other very much. She couldn't ignore that. They all needed a home and someone to look after all of them. So she immediately decided to be the one to be their trainer. "I'll take them, Professor," she immediately said. "All of them." Hearing this, the Eevee all wag their tails. They also leap on Emily and rub themselves against her to show their affection.

While everyone admires their new Pokémon, Professor Elm notices they all have Keystones. His colleague Professor Sycamore of the Kalos Region recently shared his research on Mega Evolution with him. Professor Elm remembered that there were some Pokémon in the Johto Region capable of Mega Evolution and he promised to help his colleague while he would be continuing his own research. In the meantime, to help the heroes on their journey, he granted Emily a Pokédex to record information on the Pokémon she and her friends would encounter on their journey.

Now that the heroes had finally gotten their Pokémon, it was time for Emily to register for the Johto league. She returned to the Pokémon Center and presented her Pokédex to Nurse Joy. After verifying all of her information, Emily was successfully registered. "Congratulations, Emily," Nurse Joy said as she returned her Pokédex. "You are now qualified and fully approved to participate in the Johto league." She also gave the group of a copy of the Johto league guidebook to help them on their journey.


	6. The Winds of New Beginnings

The Winds of New Beginnings

Like in the game and the series, to qualify for the championship, participants must accumulate eight gym badges. The heroes decided to set their sights for Violet City, where the closest gym was. It would still take some time to get to the city, so the heroes took this time getting to know their Pokémon. Joey had to be careful with his hands because Totodile had a tendency to bite. But Joey also knew that having a big mouth also qualified for having a big appetite. So Joey shared some of his own food with his new friend. Totodile liked it and knew he was going to like his trainer. Yugi was gentle around Chikorita and carefully stroked the leaf on her forehead. Chikorita liked the way he was soothing her. Kaiba figured there would be no difficulty in training Cyndaquil. Even a mild-tempered Pokémon can get fired up. It would just take some work, something Kaiba knew a lot about.

Emily had quite an opportunity handed to her. Instead of getting one Pokémon, she got a full party. The team was evenly balanced with three females and three males. To tell them apart, Emily gave them all names and collars of different colors. The first was Undine, who loved to swim and take baths and play in the rain. Next was her brother Sylphid, who was the fastest and he wasn't afraid of lightning or thunderstorms. Salamando was next in line. He didn't always like to fight, but he had a bit of a temper. After that was the youngest brother Shade. He wasn't afraid of the dark and had a tendency to be sneaky. Lumina was the daintiest of her siblings and she was also a little sensitive. She liked to keep clean and she was also the most calm and collected and observant. Finally, there was Luna, the smallest of the family. She wasn't too big or tough like her older siblings, but she had a lot to give.

To see what their Pokémon could do and to get a feeling of what it would be like to be trainers, the heroes decided to have Pokémon battles. The first match would be Emily against Joey. She decided to battle with Undine and Joey chose Totodile. The battle was a little simple with a few pushes and scratches and bites. Totodile was a tough competitor, but Undine's fur made her slick and capable of evading attacks. Totodile bit down on her tail and tossed her across the battlefield. It didn't hurt too much. Undine still had some fight in her. Totodile launched a Water Gun attack, but Undine enjoyed it. She felt refreshed and restored. After getting the water off of her fur, she charged right in and used her Quick Attack, knocking Totodile out and ending the battle.

Kaiba wanted a shot at a battle too. It would benefit him and Emily. So he decided to pit his Cyndaquil against Salamando. Salamando was strong, but Cyndaquil was fast. They say the best offense is a good defense, and that was what happened. Cyndaquil dodged most of Salamando's attacks with Flame Wheel and the same Flame Wheel was used to deal damage. Salamado had learned to endure any attack being thrown out because he believed taking in pain was the key to getting stronger. He tried to use Quick Attack to counter Flame Wheel, but he still ended up taking some damages. He tried a different approach like attacking from afar by means of Swift. The stars couldn't even faze Cyndaquil because the flames of Flame Wheel protected him. Cyndaquil charged in once more and knocked Salamando out.

Yugi was the only one left. He and Emily decided to pit an easy Pokémon for an easy Pokémon. So it would be Chikorita against Lumina. The battle was just as simple with them always tackling each other and butting each other. Chikorita had the ability to release an aroma to distract her opponents. The scent was captivating, but Lumina tried not to get distracted. But it was too late. Chikorita was using her leaf to tickle Lumina. The leaf also touched her nose and ended up making her sneeze. Chikorita had the advantage now by getting Lumina's sinuses to act up, so she used Vine Whip to catch Lumina and toss her across the battlefield. Lumina couldn't take anymore, so she told Chikorita she had enough. Chikorita accepted her opponent's word and they settled it by holding their paws out to each other.

With the battles done, it was time to get the Pokémon spruced up. Undine, Salamando, and Lumina were bathed and groomed, Joey gave the Pokémon some lunch, and Yugi and Kaiba reached into the first-aid kit and began healing the Pokémon. When everyone was done, they agreed to get back on the road to Violet City. From what the heroes knew, the Violet gym leader specialized in flying-type Pokémon, so Emily knew that the best Pokémon to help would be Sylphid. He was fast and would be capable of taking on the flying-type Pokémon. Needless to say Emily would be training Sylphid a lot on the way. And while on the way, the boys could build up their arsenals.


	7. Illusion Confusion

Illusion Confusion

With most of the day spent training and getting to know their Pokémon, our heroes came to a forest where it was already getting dark. "Are you sure this the way to the next town," Yugi asked as he was looking through the map.

"Why, certainly," Joey replied. "I'm as sure as I am right."

Kaiba tightened his eyes. "In that case, we're definitely lost."

"Not really," said Emily. "I've seen this happen all the time. Travelers cut through forests and find themselves in reach of town. Sure, it's dark and we'll likely come across some Pokémon, but we'll have to cross sooner or later."

"I think we've gone far enough for one day," said Kaiba. "We should stop and set up camp."

"I agree, but better in the woods than out in the open," said Joey. So they agreed to walk through the forest as far as they could.

They had barely made it to the middle of the woods and already, night had fallen, making it darker than ever. Now they knew for sure they wouldn't be able to see where they would be going if they kept walking. So they stopped and set down their supplies and began setting up camp. "We're going to stop here?" Kaiba asked nervously. He wasn't used to camping out in the open and away from civilization.

"Only for a while," Emily told him.

"Just long enough to lose our minds," said Joey. "Creepy things happen in forests at night. I've seen it happen. Creatures lurk in bushes, eyes glow when they're looking at you, and eerie noises are made to keep you awake." And just like that, an eerie sound was heard in the wind. The heroes tried not to let it torment them. Joey gathered branches and rocks to build a fire and Yugi gathered water. They hoped the light of the flame would drive off any enemies.

Joey made some warm chowder from the ingredients he brought from home and some additional resources he brought before he and his friends left New Bark Town. For dessert, Emily shared some of the brownies she made back home. When everyone finished eating, they cleaned up and decided to unroll their sleeping bags. But before they could even change clothes, the same eerie sound they heard before was heard again and got louder. The flames suddenly went out and it got dark again. To everyone's horror, the trees had faces like the kind in scary movies.

Emily tossed a Pokéball and called on Shade to help. If he wasn't afraid of the dark, then surely he would have no problem with the horrors of the night. Shade tried to keep it together, but he was beginning to sweat. Sensing an enemy in the trees, he began tackling them. When he did, a little Pokémon came out of one of the trees. It was Hoothoot, an owl Pokémon. They were known for being able to stand on one leg. The Hoothoot used its Foresight to stop the horrors and set everything back to normal. The trees no longer had faces.

Joey finally stopped shaking. "Uhh, what just happened?"

"We were tricked," said Kaiba. "Everything that happened was no more than an illusion."

"I guess it was a good thing this Hoothoot showed up when it did," said Yugi. "If it weren't for him, we would have been tormented and scared all night." Then he got an idea. "Hey, Hoothoot, my friends and I appreciate you helping us." The owl Pokémon cooed kindly. Shade even apologized for being carried away. He didn't mean to disturb Hoothoot. He was only trying to protect his friends. Hoothoot understood and forgave Shade. "Hoothoot, we're kind of lost," Yugi was saying. "Do you think you could help us?"

This wasn't something Hoothoot wasn't used to. He and the rest of his flock had often seen unfortunate trainers like Yugi and his friends come to the forest lost and confused. Nonetheless, he agreed to help the new travelers get through the forest. So Hoothoot perched himself on Yugi's shoulder as a way of saying 'yes'. So everyone packed up and began walking again. Emily decided to keep Shade out of his Pokéball for a while. Perhaps walking through the forest at night would help him get stronger.

Along the way, more illusions began to occur. Shade wanted another chance to fight, but Emily told him to settle down and be patient. When Hoothoot used Foresight again, the illusions were revealed to be ghost Pokémon causing pranks. They were Haunter and Gengar. They were the ones making the trees look like they had faces and making wisps floating around. Now that they were exposed, the heroes could contend with them in a new way. Shade and Hoothoot were ready. Hoothoot used Confusion and Shade charged and tackled them. Normally, normal-type attacks have no effect on ghost-type Pokémon, but Hoothoot's Foresight made them have some effect. To finish them off, Shade used Bite to deal more damage. Haunter and Gengar get the message and decide not to torment them anymore.

Amazed with their bravery, the heroes cheer for Hoothoot and Shade. Hoothoot perched himself on Yugi's arm and rubbed himself against his face. Shade leapt into Emily's arms and squealed cheerfully. As if that wasn't enough, Shade started glowing. There was only one explanation for this: he was evolving. He grew larger and his fur turned black with yellow rings and his eyes turned red. Shade had now evolved into Umbreon. It was an excellent surprise. It was because he fought for his friends that it was possible for him to evolve. And now that he was an Umbreon, the rings on his body would glow and light the way. The trip through the forest just got easier for the heroes.

When they finally made it out of the woods, day started to break. "Thanks for your help, Hoothoot," Yugi said gratefully. "We couldn't have gotten out of there without your help." Hoothoot cooed and rubbed himself against Yugi.

Kaiba chuckled. "Looks like Hoothoot is really fond of you, Yugi."

Joey got an idea. "You should capture it; make it part of your team."

That sounded like a great idea, but Yugi wanted Hoothoot's opinion. "Hoothoot, would you like to come with me?" In answer, Hoothoot chirped happily. So it was decided. Yugi held out a Pokéball and gently tapped Hoothoot with it. The ball rotated a few times, then the center glowed, signaling that the capture was a success. "All right! I've got a Hoothoot!" Yugi cheered, raising his Pokéball in the air. His friends cheered with him. This was one of the most exciting events on their journey. First Shade evolves and Yugi gets a new friend. This night's adventure called for a special tune. On the way, they began singing.

 _Together, wherever we go_

 _In battle, we learn and we grow_

Yugi sighed and sang, _Courage when we're put to the test_

 _Desire to be the very best_

 _And good friends to share in the magic journey_

 _With power when we need to be strong_

 _And comfort when the struggle is long_

 _We hold on to all that we know is true_

 _It's always what me make it_

 _We see our chance and we take it_

 _We know the road is long, so don't delay_

 _To be a Pokémon master, we train_

Together they sang the chorus. _Forever and everywhere we go_

 _We offer the best of what we know_

 _Where hand-in-hand, we walk as one_

 _No battles lost, two battles won_

 _Together with the Pokémon, we claim_

 _The spirit of the game!_

 _The spirit of the game,_ Yugi sang by himself.

Emily took her turn and sang, _The challenge is everywhere_

 _For you and me if we only dare_

 _To hold on to all that we know is true_

 _You're for me and I'm for you_

 _Always hold on through and through_

 _We know what we must do_

 _To be a Pokémon master, we train._

After they all repeat the chorus, Emily continues and sings, _We try, we aim high, and we reach for the sky_

Altogether, everyone sang _, Together, wherever we go, in battle, we learn and we grow!_

The heroes continue singing and they continue their journey. They knew there would be danger along the way, but there would also be fun. In many ways, they were on a mission, but it was also like a game.


	8. The Uniqueness in Pokemon

The Uniqueness in Pokémon

For three days now, the heroes had been passing through small towns, battling trainers, and seeing new Pokémon. With a few simple detours on the way, they didn't mind seeing the sights and taking the time to train their Pokémon. Shade's brothers and sisters were surprised when they found out that he had evolved, but they recognized that it was him. As much as Shade had a bit of pride, he tried to remember not to boast around his family. Soon his brothers and sisters would evolve too.

Emily was already beginning to understand the strength of her Pokémon. She quickly learned from the Eevee siblings that they had been through a lot. In the beginning, they were wild Eevee until they were captured along with their parents and taken to an institute. The Eevee siblings escaped and have been fighting for survival ever since. They came to New Bark Town and were foraging for food. Nurse Joy found all of them on a cold, rainy night and brought them to the Pokémon Center to nurse them back to health. A few days later, Professor Elm asked to take the Eevee siblings back with him so he could do a little research and at the same time, try to find them a good home. The Eevee siblings were happy with Emily, but for all they knew, their parents were still at the institute they escaped from. But Emily promised her Pokémon that she would help find and rescue their parents.

For now, the heroes decided to take a short break near a pond. Kaiba and Yugi were having a small battle, Joey was making lunch, and Emily decided to do some special training with Shade and Sylphid to prepare for the Violet gym. Since Shade had evolved, he agreed to go a little easy on his older brother. As Joey was watching Shade train, he began to wander in his thoughts. He remembered that his love from his past once had an Umbreon for a companion. That caused him to speak up and ask Emily if he could take care of Shade for her for a while. Emily accepted his request. Joey walked up to Shade and petted him. He even set him down on his lap and began scratching his ears and massaging his paws.

Seeing Shade look so relaxed, Emily thought maybe he and Joey would make a good pair. But she also remembered how inseparable the Eevee siblings were. Giving one of them up would leave them all brokenhearted.

Yugi saw what was going on and asked Joey, "Where'd you learn to take care of Umbreon like that?"

"I remember back in the palace, Freya had an Umbreon of her own," he answered. "Our friends from the ancient past helped me learn to take care of her and taught me what she liked and didn't like. I learned that different Pokémon like different kinds of treatment."

"Wow, Joey," said Yugi. "You could make a great Pokémon caretaker."

Joey shrugged. "I don't know about that, Yuge. But I think it'd be great for me to have my own Eevee." The problem was, he had been arguing with himself on what he would like to evolve it into. His first choice was Jolteon because he liked electric Pokémon, but then he changed his mind and wanted Flareon, because he liked fire-type Pokémon just as much. But today, after spending time with Shade, he figured he would rather have an Umbreon because he figured he would develop a stronger bond. But there would come a time to figure it out when Joey would find his own Eevee. He and his friends had all the time in the world and would continue to meet many wonderful Pokémon.

After lunch, the heroes decided to get back on the road. Within reach was Cherrygrove City. It was a quaint city known for its fresh water sources. Undine got excited and wanted to go swimming, but Emily stopped her. She wanted to check and see if the water was safe. It turned out that the water was filled with Pokémon called Quagsire. They were like mudfish and were both ground-types and water-types. The city had preservation laws for the Quagsire and prohibited people from capturing or battling them because of a long-time tradition.

As they passed through the city, Yugi and his friends noticed that Quagsire were taking round objects like balls, bells, and toys. The townspeople explained that this was part of the ceremony. Quagsire would come all the way to town from Blue Moon Falls and take round objects back with them. The next morning, all the objects that were taken would come floating back to their owners. To the people of Cherrygrove City, not only would their possessions come back, but good luck as well as clean water would come along with them. It seemed like a weird tradition, but no tradition is weird if it involves Pokémon. If it does, every tradition is unique. So Yugi and his friends decided to stick around for the ceremony.

Kaiba didn't seem too thrilled. What fun would it be to just sit and wait? Joey got the same idea. He wanted to see where Quagsire came from and how they would perform the ritual. The only way to know was to follow the river upstream.

It was dark by the time Yugi and his friends left and made it upstream. They continued to follow the Quagsire all the way to a waterfall. It was Blue Moon Falls and to their wonder, there was a blue moon in the sky. The Quagsire began using Water Gun to launch the objects to the top of the falls. It was like watching fireworks as the water glimmered and shined. The heroes figured out the meaning of the ceremony. The Quagsire gathered round objects to perform a contest of a sort to get their object closest to the moon. When one object went higher than the rest, the Quagsire cheered and flapped their flippers in triumph.

Now that the ceremony was over, it was time to return to Cherrygrove City to take part in the final event. The next morning, as promised, all round objects returned to their rightful owners and brought back good luck and clean water.

"That was some unique ceremony," said Joey. "I liked it."

"It's really true," Emily was saying, "Good things do come to those who wait. I think that was the most important lesson this ceremony brought with it."

"And the people of Cherrygrove City have really proved it," said Yugi. "Because good fortune will come your way."

Kaiba grinned. "You know, Wheeler, I think Quagsire would have been a good addition to your team."

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"Because you two are alike in many different ways," the brunette answered. "You're both silly in appearance and personality and pretty ditzy too. Not to mention you're slick and happy-go-lucky."

To avoid starting an argument, Joey decides to say, "I'll take that last comment as a compliment." He did seem to like Quagsire. They were a little weird, but after watching the ceremony at Blue Moon Falls, he thought they were cool Pokémon.


	9. Learn and Grow

Learn and Grow

It took longer than any of them thought, but Yugi and his friends finally made it to Violet City. On the way to the Violet gym, they stopped at a trainer's school where small children could learn to be Pokémon trainers. One of the teachers of the school was Ms. Priscilla, a woman with dark blue hair and brown eyes. She also had a black sweater vest over a sky blue dress. She was teaching her children the different kinds of Pokémon. Yugi and his friends thought they could learn something at the school and perhaps even teach some of the students what they already knew.

To help the students get a better understanding of Pokémon, Yugi and his friends released them from their Pokéballs and introduced them. All of the children were excited and like most small children, they didn't know how to handle Pokémon carefully. But the Pokémon were careful not to hurt anybody.

In the distance, a small tower stood in the middle of the city. It was known as the Sprout Tower. Ms. Priscilla was taking her students there for a field trip today. Yugi and his friends wanted to come along and see the tower too and asked if they could join the class. Ms. Priscilla explained that it was known as Sprout Tower because there was a beam in the middle that swayed back and forth like a Bellsprout's body. Many people thought that it was unsafe and unstable, but the Tower didn't collapse. Another reason behind the name for the Tower was that children becoming trainers were like sprouts beginning to grow and coming to Sprout Tower was like a coming-of-age trial where they could gain their first experiences as a trainer.

Well, if this was going to be like a rite of passage, then Emily wanted to take it to show the students what it would be like to become a trainer. So she decided to demonstrate to the children with a Pokémon battle. Joey wanted to help too, so he agreed to be Emily's opponent. He chose Totodile while Emily chose Sylphid. Totodile made the first attack and launched his Water Gun. Sylphid rolled to dodge the attack. He tried to charge with a Quick Attack, but Totodile caught Sylphid by his tail with his jaws and tossed him across the field. Syphid slid on the dirt, but got back on his feet. He tried attacking from afar with Swift, but Totodile blocked it with Water Gun. They charged at each other and hit their heads together. Feeling dizzy with headaches, the Pokémon decide to call it a draw. Joey and Emily agree and shake hands.

"There's an important lesson in this battle," Yugi was telling the children. "Pokémon battles aren't about winning or losing or proving who the strongest opponent is. It's about how a trainer can learn and grow with their Pokémon."

"Just like a sprout," said Joey.

"And at the end of every battle, friendships are made," Emily added. "So don't feel upset if you lose one battle. There's a good chance you'll win the next. And sometimes, a draw is always fair game."

Maybe the children wouldn't understand right away; at least, not until they had become trainers. But they felt it in their hearts that the lessons of the battle at Sprout Tower would take them far.

When they returned to the trainer's school, Ms. Priscilla thanked Yugi and his friends for helping out today on behalf of herself and her students. Yugi and the others agreed and said they learned just as much; that it takes time when it comes to learning and growing. That made Emily decide to take this time to prepare for her gym battle.

She and her friends went to the outskirts of the city to do some training for the rest of the day. Once again, Emily called on Shade and Sylphid. "All right, boys, I know we've been working hard a lot since we've started our journey together. But things are going to be a little different. We're going to be facing the gym leader of Violet City tomorrow and I want us to be prepared."

"We'll do our best for you, Emily," Shade promised. "With my cunning and Sylphid's speed, there's no way we can lose."

"Well, let's do what we can tonight and we'll see what happens tomorrow," said Emily. So she and her boys begin to work on their training. It was true that Sylphid was the fastest of his siblings, but Emily had to work on building up the speed of the rest of her Pokémon also. Shade was cunning and sneaky like a ninja, but he couldn't yet catch up to his brother. So to help, Shade decided to run some laps. Sylphid decided to build up his defenses by learning to block attacks. There were certain attacks that couldn't be dodged and that's why they say the best defense is a good offense. So Emily threw soft balls and Sylphid used his paws and tail to throw them back.

With the day finished, signs of progress were showing with good results. Not only did Shade become faster, but he also learned to use Confuse Ray. And seeing how much Sylphid had grown, Emily figured it was time. "Sylphid, could you come here?"

He does as told and approaches Emily. "What's up, Emily?"

"Well, I've been thinking, and…" she stops and reaches into her bag and takes out a stone.

Looking at the stone she's grasping, Sylphid recognizes that it's a Thunder Stone. Ms. Priscilla gave it to Emily before they left the school. His eyes shine with anticipated happiness. "Oh, Emily, this is the moment I've been waiting for!"

"Does this mean-?"

Sylphid nods. "This is what I've been training for; to get stronger until I was ready to evolve."

"It's what I've wanted too. I just wanted you to be sure if you were ready."

In answer, Sylphid places his paw against the Thunder Stone. His body glows and begins changing. He had grown larger and the fur on his body turned yellow and the fur around his neck turned white. Some of it also stuck out like sparks. He was now a Jolteon.

Shade approached his older brother and congratulated him. "Way to go, big brother!" And they slap their paws together.

"Thanks," Sylphid said in appreciation. "It's what I've always wanted. Now I know you and I can win tomorrow's battle for sure."

Emily agreed. "Come on. Let's get back to the Pokémon center and rejoin the others." Sylphid and Shade agree and return to their Pokéballs. They couldn't wait for tomorrow's battle, but they were also looking forward to a healthy dinner and a good night's sleep after all that training.


	10. Flight, Fight to the Finish

Flight, Fight to the Finish

It was morning and Emily was ready for her gym battle. The boys were just as excited. They came to the Violet gym, but before they could pass through the door, a Pidgeot came and landed in front of them. On his back was a young man with navy blue hair. "Welcome," he greeted. "I apologize if my Pidgeot startled you."

"No, not at all," Emily insisted. "I think it's beautiful. Look at the colors and the texture of the wings. I can tell you're very close with your Pokémon."

The young man nodded. "Bird Pokémon are truly marvelous. They're brave and reliable. And the only thing better than seeing a flying-type Pokémon in action is being in action with it; soaring the skies alongside them."

"I agree," said Emily. "Bird Pokémon are magnificent."

The boy explains why he's so passionate about flying-type Pokémon by saying ever since he was a child, he had a dream of flying in the sky. He also had a hobby of hang gliding because he thought it would help him understand flying-type Pokémon better.

Emily remembers her manners. "Pardon me, but I don't think we've introduced ourselves. My name is Emily and these are my friends Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba."

The young man's eyes widened. "You don't mean the four champions of Duel Monsters?"

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Joey said modestly, "but we are heroes and idols when it comes to the game."

"It's truly amazing to meet every one of you. I'm Falkner, the Violet City gym leader," he said, shaking their hands. That was even more surprising, even for Falkner. He didn't usually become acquainted with trainers and become friends with them before finding out they would be challengers. Nonetheless, he gladly accepted Emily's challenge and took her and the boys to the roof of the gym.

The referee made his announcement. "The challenge between Emily, the challenger and Falkner, the Violet gym leader, will now begin. At stake is the Zephyr badge. Each will use three Pokémon and only the challenger will be permitted to substitute Pokémon. Battle begin!"

Falkner made the first move by calling on Hoothoot. Emily decided to try something simple like battling with Luna. For the first move, Luna charged with a Tackle attack. Hoothoot dodged and took flight. He dived down and used Tackle on Luna and began pecking at her. Luna tried to fight back with Swift, but Hoothoot evaded it and was ready to make the same move again. To avoid getting tackled again, Luna rolled over. When Hoothoot was coming in again, Luna charged in with a Quick Attack. When their attacks collided, both Pokémon got knocked out.

"Well, it's not too bad," said Joey. "Now both trainers have two Pokémon remaining."

"Maybe, but I don't think the match is going in Briar's favor," said Kaiba. "Bird Pokémon are known for their speed and strength. They may be graceful, but they can use that to their advantage to fight like the predators they are. A bird Pokémon won't let anything bring it down."

"I wouldn't count Emily out yet," said Yugi. "She believes in her Pokémon and they believe in her too."

Emily knew that if she wanted a good advantage when it would come to type and level, she would have to call on the Pokémon she had been training. So she tossed the Pokéball and Sylphid came out. Falkner called on a three-headed bird called Dodrio. Emily wasn't expecting this. Of all Pokémon, why Dodrio? It can't even fly. Falkner was ready to surprise his opponent. He decided to let Emily make the first move. Sylphid tried to charge in with a Quick Attack. His speed had certainly improved since he evolved. Unfortunately, Dodrio was faster. It couldn't fly, but it could jump at a great height. Dodrio began jabbing Sylphid with all three of its beaks as it used Fury Attack. Without giving Sylphid a chance to fight back, Dodrio used Drill Peck. Normally, flying-type attacks weren't very effective on electric-type Pokémon, but Sylphid was taking a good amount of damage from those jabs. Dodrio was about to finish him off with a Tri Attack, but Sylphid dodged and jumped on Dodrio and launched his Thunder Shock. Dodrio tried to get back on its feet, but the electric attack took its toll and knocked it out.

Proud of his Pokémon, Falkner called back Dodrio and called upon Pidgeot. Sylphid was in no condition to keep battling, so Emily called him back and sent Shade to take it from here. With Pidgeot in the air, Shade tried to attack with Swift. But Pidgeot sent the attack away with a Whirlwind. Emily decided to try a different approach by having Shade confuse Pidgeot. But the bird was too far away for Shade to focus and aim. Pidgeot was diving down, giving shade the edge he needed. He used Confuse Ray to daze Pidgeot. The bird became confused, but he still ended up attacking Shade. With Pidgeot on the ground, Shade tried attacking with Bite. He held on to the wing, but Pidgeot shook him off while trying to use Whirlwind. At the same time, Pidgeot shook off his confusion and got back in the air. Shade tried to confuse Pidgeot again, but ended up getting hit with a Wing Attack. He was no longer able to fight.

Emily had no choice now. Sylphid was still recovering from the last battle, but Shade and Luna were both out of commission. She had to rely on him now. So she tossed the Pokéball and sent Sylphid back into battle. Sylphid was still a little out of it, but he hoped he would last long to end this battle. Falkner decided to take the match to the next level. He activated his Keystone and the Mega Stone on Pidgeot's collar glowed. The bird had now Mega Evolved. Pidgeot was coming in for a Quick Attack, but Sylphid ducked just in time. To pick up the pace, Pidgeot used Agility and tried another Quick Attack. There was no escape this time. Sylphid was just going to have to take the attack that was coming. Sylphid stood up on all four paws and gave everything he had to make it the strongest Thunder Shock he could give. Pidgeot began to slow down as he was reaching the ground. Sylphid jumped on Pidgeot's back and ended it with another Thunder Shock. Pidgeot tried to get up, but couldn't. He collapsed on the ground and the effects of Mega Evolution wore off. The match was over.

Watching from the sidelines, Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba cheered for Emily's victory. Even the rest of the family cheered for Luna, Sylphid, and Shade.

Falkner approached Emily and congratulated her. "You were smart to realize that there are certain attacks that can't be dodged when it comes to speed. Your Pokémon used that to their advantage and brought you to victory. It's clear that even Pokémon without wings can still have soaring spirits. You definitely earned the Zephyr badge," he says, presenting it to her.

"Thank you, Falkner," Emily says, taking the badge and cheering in triumph.

"I know I've said this before with many of my other opponents, but for every new challenge, I'm inspired to train hard and learn more," said Falkner. "That's the only way I can achieve my goal of becoming a flying Pokémon master. The best of luck to you in the Johto league."

"Good luck to you too." And Emily and Falkner shake hands.


	11. There's Always a Better Day

There's Always a Better Day

With her victory against Falkner behind her and having acclaimed a Zephyr badge, it was time to seek out a new challenge. Kaiba checked the map and said the next gym would be located in Azalea Town. The group decided to settle down for a while before heading out to Azalea Town. After a long battle, Emily decided to give her Pokémon a good grooming. Shade, Sylphid, and Luna were bathed and brushed and were looking good as new. They had been working hard, so it was time to get the rest of the family trained up for battle.

While Emily was getting her Pokémon spruced up, she decided she wanted to learn more about where they came from. So she asked the siblings to tell her more about their parents and who took them. Undine explained that their parents were captured by poachers dressed in dark suits. While in captivity, Undine and her siblings and parents heard commotion about being sent to collectors or zoos. There was even a rumor about being sold to the wealthy for their fur. To keep their children from suffering a terrifying fate, two fully-grown Eevee named Adam and Mary freed their children from their cages and helped them escape through the ventilation shafts. To keep the humans occupied, the Eevee worked in freeing the rest of the inmates and caused a commotion in the labs. The six Eevee were safe, but they wanted to go back for their parents. There was no time for that now. They had to escape before they could get captured.

Undine and her siblings still missed their parents, but they wouldn't give up on finding them. But now that most of them had evolved, would their parents recognize them? The only way to know for sure was to find the Eevee that had been captured. But who knows what could have happened since the fiasco at the lab? Undine tried to remember where the lab was located. She said it was near a lake. Shade said it was in a forest. Salamando said it was near a mountain. Maybe finding the lab wouldn't be a difficult task. Emily and her friends still had the whole region to travel and new places to see.

Emily didn't feel like calling the siblings back into their Pokéballs. She decided to let them all sleep close to her. They all curled up on the bed and snuggled up together. It was precious. They really were close as close can be. After being separated from their parents, they really were all that they had for each other. No child, human or monster, deserves that misfortune. _I can't get my parents back,_ Emily thought to herself, _but I promise you guys, I'll help you get yours back. Because… you're my family too. Undine, Sylphid, Salamando, Shade, Lumina, Luna, now you're my brothers and sisters too. And I promise to protect every one of you_. She releases her tears and strokes her fingers through their fur. At home, people love their pets like family. It should be no different with Pokémon.

Sensing sadness in her friend, Luna rubs herself against Emily. Maybe the blonde wasn't a Pokémon, but she was making a good mother as well as a good trainer and friend. Luna's brothers and sisters thought so too and began snuggling Emily up. If she thought they were family to her, then the siblings agreed that Emily was family too.

None of the boys could comprehend how Emily could understand Pokémon as if they were talking to her in plain English. But they did agree that they had missed their families too. Going on a Pokémon journey sounded like fun at first, but now they were starting to feel a little homesick. Traveling to new places in their world is one thing, but being trapped in another with the only way home being to win is difficult; physically and emotionally.

Kaiba lied down in bed. "I'll bet our disappearance caused a big fuss at school and all over town. But we've been gone for so long; everyone must've given up on waiting for us to come home."

"Téa and Tristan wouldn't," Emily protested sadly.

"We'll find our way home," Yugi promised. "We just have to keep traveling through the rest of the Johto Region and find the Cobalt Star shard."

"Yeah, but that could take weeks," Joey groaned. "This place is huge. I mean, it took us a whole week to get from New Bark Town to Violet City and who knows how long it's going to take for us to get to Azalea Town?"

"Let's just settle down and try to get some sleep," said Emily. "Things will look better in the morning." Her friends agree and lie down and shut their eyes.

Things did look better in the morning. The heroes were feeling a little cheerful after resting up and ready to get back on the road. They decided it would be best not to worry about not being able to get home. Despite their mission, they still wanted to see the rest of the Johto Region and they remembered there would be fun awaiting them. To keep the optimism, Emily waved her tambourine and began singing.

 _Never know what's around the bend_

 _We go up the hill and down again_

 _And when there's trouble, we'll get through_

 _We always have and we always do._

Her friends joined in and sang, _Nothing in the world can bring us down, no, not us_

 _We'll spread a little sunshine all around. There's never enough._

Altogether, everyone sang, _All we wanna do is have a good time_

 _Having lots of fun with all these friends of mine_

 _All we wanna do is celebrate_

 _Every time we've been together, it's been great_

 _Looking for adventure big and small_

 _Just being with friends like you is all we wanna do._

Yugi began to dance around. _All my friends are here with me_

 _And things are good as they can be._

Emily waved her tambourine and sang, _Travel places near and far_

 _But home is always where we are._

Altogether, everyone sang, _Traveling the world is what we do_

 _Because everywhere we go, there's something new for us._

As they repeated the chorus, the Pokémon began dancing around with their friends. _Do you wanna come along? Just be prepared for everything._

 _Get into the flow, get ready to go, get ready to spread your wings!_

After that last verse, the heroes jumped. They tried to release their wings, but they couldn't. Unfortunately, the heroes couldn't use their powers in this world. But after feeling so cheerful right now, they wouldn't let that simple downside bring them down. They laughed about it and continued singing.

Some wild Pokémon appeared and wanted to take part of the fun. One of them was a little mudfish called Wooper. Not only were they cute, but they were also very slick and smart. Joey got excited and wanted to catch Wooper, so he challenged him to a battle. Wooper just looked at Joey curiously and grinned. Joey tossed his Pokéball in the air and called on Totodile. Totodile approached Wooper and tried to touch him, but he was too slick. Wooper jumped and smacked Totodile in the face with his tail. Outraged, Totodile used Water Gun. It didn't work. Wooper took no damage from that attack. Wooper used his own Water Gun right back at Totodile. The blue crocodile shook the water off and wanted to attack again. Wooper was about to smack him in the face again, but Totodile caught his tail with his jaws and whiplashed him to the ground.

Joey took this opportunity to catch Wooper now that he had been weakened. He tossed his Pokéball at Wooper. The Pokéball tossed and turned for a few times, then the center glowed, confirming that Wooper had been successfully caught. Joey raised his Pokéball in the air and cheered in triumph. "Yeah! I caught a Wooper!" Totodile cheered with him and his friends congratulated him. Things really were looking up for the heroes.

As they continued their path to Azalea Town, the heroes noticed that the area was starting to look wider with the large fields. The Johto Region was like a countryside and there were lots of fields for farming. There were herds of Tauros, Miltank, Ponyta, Rapidash, and Mareep. It came to show that Pokémon and people really did belong together and could help each other. On top of that, it was like becoming closer with nature. That was what made the adventure fun and worthwhile.

These kinds of Pokémon didn't usually live alone. That was why they always came in herds. They were racing through the fields and grazing in the grass. And it was because these Pokémon lived in herds that the heroes couldn't bring themselves to want to battle, because there would be no telling if they were wild or if they belonged to anybody. So it was best if they kept passing through the valley without trying to cause any trouble for themselves and the Pokémon.

As they were heading out of the valley, Emily noticed a Mareep was following them. She looked a little smaller than the other Mareep. Joey remembered that Mareep were attracted to electricity like most electric-type Pokémon and wondered if it was drawn by Sylphid's electricity. But that couldn't be it because Sylphid was in his Pokéball all day. Perhaps she wandered off from the herd they saw back in the fields. They decided to turn around and take her back to her friends.

Mareep was taken back to her friends, but just when Yugi and the others were about to head back on their way, Mareep started following them again. They say there's a black sheep in every herd. Perhaps this Mareep was an outcast and needed a shepherd boy to see her through. That was what Joey wondered. He got down to his knees and petted her fleece.

"What do you say, Mareep," Joey asked as he continued petting her. "Do you want to come with me and my friends?" In answer, Mareep bleated cheerfully. Joey held out his Pokéball and gently tapped Mareep with it. The capture was a success. Joey had made two friends in one day. This adventure really was going to get better along the way.


	12. Fired Up

Fired Up

When the heroes said they enjoyed the heat of the sun beating down on them, they didn't mean the feel of being in a scorching climate. Emily was the only one who seemed to tolerate it because she was adaptable to hot and cold weather. To get cooled off and refreshed, Joey called on Totodile to spray water in the air like a fountain. Now that they were feeling cooled off, they could get back on the road.

To their delight, Azalea Town was just up ahead. Feeling like they got their strength back, the heroes raced to the town. As they were walking through the streets, they noticed a lot of Slowpoke. Slowpoke were dense, but not completely unaware of their surroundings. It would just take some time for them to catch on to any event. There was an old tale about the Slowpoke having the power to make it rain in times of drought by simply yawning. Since then, the people of Azalea Town have treated Slowpoke with honor and respect. There hasn't been a drought in Azalea Town for years, but this hot day made it seem like one.

Nearby was the Slowpoke Well, where all the Slowpoke lived. Not many trainers liked to have Slowpoke as members of their parties, but there were poachers and collectors who hunted Slowpoke for profit and this well was like a sanctuary to the Slowpoke.

Also in Azalea Town, there lived an old man named Kurt, who was a craftsman at Pokéballs. The Pokéballs would be crafted from Apricorns, a mechanism that was first used to capture Pokémon before Pokéballs were invented. The heroes decided to pay a visit to Kurt and see the kind of work he did.

Kurt didn't mind having visitors come in to pay him a visit or even request him to create a Pokéball. He even told the heroes what kinds of Pokéballs he crafted. There were seven different colors of Apricorns and the different color determined the kind of Pokéball that would be crafted. A white Apricorn would be crafted into a Fast Ball, a Pokéball capable of capturing Pokémon of great speed. A pink Apricorn would be crafted into a Love Ball, a Pokéball used to capture Pokémon of opposite genders from their opponents. A blue Apricorn would be crafted into a Lure Ball, a Pokéball capable of capturing water-type Pokémon. A green Apricorn would be crafted into a Friend Ball, a Pokéball that would help the captured Pokémon become friendly toward its new trainer. A yellow Apricorn would be crafted into a Moon Ball, a Pokéball that was effective for capturing Pokémon that evolved by means of using a Moon Stone. A black Apricorn would be crafted into a Heavy Ball, a Pokéball that was effective for capturing Pokémon of excessive weights. And finally, there was a red Apricorn, which would be crafted into a Level Ball, the kind of Pokéball used to capture Pokémon of lower levels than its opponent.

After learning about the Apricorns and the Pokéballs they would be made into, the heroes decided to head out to gather the Apricorns they wanted. Kurt's granddaughter, Maisie, decided to accompany them. She was a young girl with blue eyes and brown hair and she knew when Apricorns were ready for the picking. She took the heroes to the hills and helped them pick their Apricorns. They decided they wanted something that would represent them. Kaiba picked a red Apricorn, Yugi picked a blue Apricorn, Emily picked a pink Apricorn, and Joey picked a green Apricorn.

The heroes presented their Apricorns to Kurt, but he said it would take at least a full day for them to be crafted. Emily didn't mind waiting this long. She would take this time to train for her battle at the Azalea gym. Yugi and the others agreed to help her train.

They headed to the Slowpoke Well outside of town to have their practice matches. The Slowpoke didn't mind their presence and probably wouldn't be paying much attention to the action anyway. But better than no company. Emily was going to have her first match with Kaiba. She pitted Salamando against Cyndaquil. Talk about getting fired up, but everyone had a feeling things wouldn't end like they did last time. For the first move, Salamando used Swift to attack from afar. Cyndaquil shrouded himself using Smokescreen to avoid the attack. After that, he emerged from the smoke covered in fire. He was using Flame Wheel. Emily had a feeling he would try something like this. She told Salamando to jump over Cyndaquil. Salamando disobeyed and instead jumped on Cyndaquil and rolled with him. His paws were getting burned, but the Eevee endured it and continued rolling with Cyndaquil. The fire-type Pokémon tried to knock him down, but Salamando kept on him like a clown on a circus ball. Having had enough circus tricks, Kaiba commands Cyndaquil to stop and use Flamethrower. Salamando dodges by rolling in the dirt. With his paws burnt, he can't run without tripping himself, so he keeps rolling around. Cyndaquil charges in with another Flame Wheel and takes out Salamando.

The battle was over, but Salamando refused to go down. Emily didn't want him to push himself, so she ran to the battlefield and picked him up. "That's enough, Salamando. You don't have the strength to continue fighting."

"Yes, I do," he protested. "All those attacks are nothing compared to what I've been through. It doesn't hurt me. It makes me stronger." His paws sting from his burns, but he ignores the pain and continues squirming. "I want to keep fighting so I can get stronger. So bring on whatever you throw at me. I'll keep on coming and I'll send it back."

Emily wouldn't let go. "You're done. I'm taking you to the Pokémon Center to get you healed." Knowing he'll refuse to return to his Pokéball, Emily decides to carry him all the way.

As Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba watched Emily return to the Pokémon Center, they feel great sorrow for her and for Salamando. "I don't understand," Yugi was saying. "Emily and Salamando were battling together so well when they started traveling. But just now, he refused to obey her commands."

"That Eevee's got a lot of spunk," said Joey. "But he was crazy when he took those attacks head-on. I mean, leaping on a Pokémon on fire and staying in contact? What was he thinking?"

Kaiba had a feeling he knew what the matter was. "Salamando wasn't just trying to outmaneuver Cyndaquil. He was trying to make himself stronger. That's what happens when you're stubborn and have a lot of attitude. You put yourself in trouble and don't care about anything else. If what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger, you'll keep taking in whatever damage is being dealt to you." The brunette lowers his head and sighs. "Anybody would know that. We would also know just as much that Salamando's methods are the wrong way and Briar's trying to teach him so."

"What can we do?" Joey asked.

"There's nothing we can do," Kaiba answered. "Briar is Salamando's trainer and only she can set things right and connect with him. Then and only then will Salamando know where true strength comes from."

"Not to mention he could also use an attitude adjustment," Joey smartly stated, thinking about Salamando's temper and mildly aggressive behavior.

As Emily waited to hear Salamando's results, she scolded herself for him being like this. She thought that perhaps the reason Salamando was disobeying her was because she wasn't being a good trainer. _I have to know what the reason is behind Salamando's actions for his behavior today. Maybe then, I can help him._

The rest of the siblings were waiting with her. Luna spoke up and asked, "Is Salamando going to be okay?"

Emily wasn't sure, but she didn't want to say anything that would shock her friends. So she replied, "Oh, sure. He's going to be fine."

"Emily, I know what you're trying to do," Lumina tells her. "You're worried, and you don't want us to be too. But it's really okay."

Shade agreed. "Yeah, Salamando has put himself in harm's way many times before. He doesn't normally like to fight, but whatever crazy action he takes, he does it because he's our brother and he loves us."

"That's right," Undine was saying, "He's trying to be strong for all of us." She and the others have tried reasoning with him about his methods and that sometimes, they aren't always the best. But he's often stubbornly refused to listen. Undine continues and tells Emily, "I know he may think he knows better than everyone else and that his way is the right way, but he learns his lessons fast. It gives him time to think about what went wrong and what he can do to better himself. We remind him that most of his tactics end up in disaster because a lot of it has to do with him not listening. But I think if he learns to do what you say, he'll find that something good may come from it."

"She's right," Sylphid said in agreement. "We have to work together, after all."

As Emily listens to what her Pokémon are telling her, she smiles and promises to help everyone get stronger. "Thanks, you guys," she says and hugs every one of them.

The light went out, signaling that the exams were complete. The doors opened and Salamando came out as he was sitting on a stretcher. "Thank you for waiting," Nurse Joy tells Emily. "Salamando is doing very well. We've healed the burns on his paws, but he'll have to take it easy for a while."

"Okay, thank you," said Emily. She approaches Salamando and asks him, "How are you feeling, buddy?"

He answers her and tells her, "Well, my paws are still a little sore, so it kind of hurts to stand on them. But other than that, I'm feeling much better." He jumps off of the stretcher and leaps into Emily's arms. "I'm sorry. I guess I should have listened to you."

"It's okay," Emily says as she hugs him. "I should have known you liked to do things your way. But don't worry about it, okay? We can get stronger together in body and spirit."

Salamando looks down and faces his siblings. As they nod in agreement, he decides that it's time to change his ways a little. It was one thing when he was fighting to survive with his family. Now he had a trainer who would look out for him and stubbornness wouldn't be an option. He faces Emily again and gives her his answer. "I like the sound of that."

Pleased with his answer, Emily gently hugs Salamando. She takes him with her and they sit down on the chairs. "I have an idea that might help." She reaches into her bag and takes out an orange rock with a fire pattern in it.

Salamando's eyes shine with excitement. "Wow! A Fire Stone!" Salamando remembered that when he was little, he wanted to grow up to be tough and strong and he thought that the best kind of Pokémon to be like that would be Flareon. He was about to touch it, but he stopped and pulled his paw back. "It's not that I don't want to evolve into a Flareon. Believe me, I do. It's just that, I don't want to force you to do something I want to do."

Emily smiles and scratches his ears. "I'll be happy with whatever you decide. If you want to wait a little while longer, you can. I promised I would help you and your brothers and sisters get stronger and we'll do it at each's own pace."

Salamando wanted to trust in his own heart as well as his trainer's words. He didn't think he was ready because of this afternoon's fiasco, but he changed his mind and decided he wanted to evolve. So he placed his paw over the Fire Stone and touched it. His body glowed and grew bigger. When the evolution was complete, Salamando's fur had turned into a dark orange color and the fur around his neck and tail was as bright as sunshine yellow. He was now a Flareon.

Salamando laughed as he admired his new appearance. His paws weren't sore anymore and he began to leap with merriment. He jumped into Emily's arms once again and began crying tears of happiness. "Thank you, Emily. Thank you so much. And I promise, I'll get stronger with your help. And I'll help my brothers and sisters too."

"Oh, Salamando," Emily sighed as she hugged him.

The doors to the Pokémon Center opened up and Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba passed through them. They figured that Emily was taking too long, so after a few battles with each other, they agreed to meet her at the Pokémon Center. The heroes agreed that they had enough excitement for today and it was time to relax. Emily and her Pokémon were going to need their strength for tomorrow's gym battle anyway.


	13. A Buggy Brawl

A Buggy Brawl

After a good sleep and a good breakfast, the heroes were finally standing in front of the Azalea gym. From the outside, it looked like a gym, but when everyone stepped inside, they figured it looked like a garden. Yugi and his friends had to remember what's on the inside matters more than what's on the outside because that's where true qualities lie. And based on the qualities of this gym, it looked like its theme was for bug or grass-type Pokémon. The answer was quickly revealed when they saw bug Pokémon in the trees.

"Welcome," said a voice. Yugi and his friends looked around and saw a young boy with lavender hair sitting in a tree. "Welcome to the Azalea gym. Who are you guys?"

Emily spoke up first. "My name is Emily Briar. I've come here to challenge the leader of this gym."

The boy recognized that name. "Did you say Emily Briar as in the rainbow duelist? The one who got to duel Yugi in the KC Grand Championship?"

"Yes, that's me," said Emily. "And Yugi's here standing on my right. And on my left are my other friends Joey and Kaiba; the other two champions of Duel Monsters."

The boy was awestruck but he got it back together and introduced himself. "I'm Bugsy, the Azalea gym leader. And I can't believe that the four champions of Duel Monsters are here and one of them is challenging me. This is awesome." He clears his throat and recollects himself. "It's an honor to meet you, but I can't forget my pride as a gym leader. You see, I specialize in bug-type Pokémon and I think they're the best."

Emily admitted that bug Pokémon are fascinating, but she was hoping that Bugsy wouldn't be like the annoying Weevil Underwood back home.

Bugsy climbed down from the tree and stood in front of Emily. "Well, Emily, I accept your challenge. It would be an honor for me to have a battle with you."

"I'd be just as honored, Bugsy." So they shook hands and took their places at the arena.

The referee spoke up and announced, "The match between Bugsy, the gym leader, and Emily, the challenger, will now begin. Each trainer will use three Pokémon, but only the challenger may be permitted to substitute Pokémon. At stake is the Hive badge."

Bugsy decided to start off quick with one of the strongest Pokémon in his team. He tossed his Pokéball and called on Spinarak. It was a tiny green arachnid with six black and yellow striped legs. Emily tossed her Pokéball and called on Luna. Spinarak made the first move with a String Shot attack. Luna dodged to avoid getting caught in Spinarak's web. A bad idea on her end. With so many trees surrounding the arena, Bugsy could turn the battlefield into one giant web. That was what Spinarak was doing; using String Shot all over the place to trap Luna.

Being caught in a sticky web made it difficult for Luna to move around, but she could still attack from afar by means of Swift. Spinarak countered with Poison Sting. Emily was at a disadvantage right now, so she called Luna back and called on Sylphid. That was a good choice on her part. Sylphid could dodge the String Shot with ease and avoid getting caught in Spinarak's web. Sylphid tried to attack with Thunder Shock, but Spinarak evaded it by swinging through the trees with his String Shot. Keeping his eyes on Spinarak, Sylphid takes aim and uses Thunder Shock to cut the web and send Spinarak flying. To finish him off, Sylphid attacks with Quick Attack. Spinarak tries to get up, but falls flat on his stomach.

Bugsy's next Pokémon was Metapod, a green cocoon. Emily decided to withdraw Sylphid and get Luna back in the game. Luna starts by charging in with a Tackle. To raise his defense and take little damage, Metapod uses Harden. Attacking Metapod was like crashing into a wall. Metapod would simply feel a push and Luna would feel like she was getting a headache. Luna tries to attack with Swift, but not even her attacks can faze Metapod. Luna tries a Quick Attack, but Metapod jumps and dodges the attack. As he comes down, he lands a Tackle on Luna, knocking her out.

Emily decides to call on Sylphid to take it from here. Metapod tries to tackle Sylphid, but he dodges the attack. Metapod was fast, but Sylphid was faster. As Metapod comes in, Sylphid jumps on his back and attacks with Thunder Fang. Metapod falls and is knocked out.

It's common that in games and in battles, the player saves the best for last. It's like having a secret weapon or a trump card. Bugsy's last Pokémon was his strongest. It was Scizor, a red mantis-like Pokémon with scissor-like claws instead of scythe-like arms. Emily decided to keep Sylphid on the field. She even noticed that Scizor was wearing a collar containing a Mega Stone. No denying Bugsy was going to have him Mega Evolve. Emily and Sylphid were just going to have to be ready. Sylphid charges in with a Quick Attack, but Scizor evades it by using Double Team to create duplicates. They all prepare to use Slash, but Sylphid launches his Thunder Shock all around the field to attack all of them. He manages to hit all but the real one. Scizor approaches Sylphid from behind and attacks with Fury Cutter. This was bad because as long as Fury Cutter was used consecutively, the damage dealt would increase. The increase in damage took its toll on Sylphid and knocked him out.

Emily was down to one last Pokémon and she hoped it would lead her to victory. She tossed her Pokéball and Salamando appeared on the field. Bugsy had a feeling it would come to this. He placed his fingertips over his Keystone and it began glowing. Scizor's Mega Stone reacted to the Keystone's light and he had now Mega Evolved. Scizor's arms were like halberds and scissors put together. Scizor tries to land a Fury Cutter, but Salamando dodges the attack. Scizor had now doubled in strength and speed, but Salamando wasn't going to let that interfere with his fighting. But he also promised not to make any rash decisions without cooperating with Emily. This Pokémon and his trainer were going to fight as one. Scizor uses Double Team and circles around Salamando. The fire-type Pokémon jumps in the air and spins around as he attacks with Fire Spin. To raise his attack status as well as protect himself, Scizor used Swords Dance. That was a very impressive maneuver.

Salamando tried to attack with Fire Spin, but Scizor made the same move by repelling the flames with Swords Dance. That was the move Emily was waiting for. She told Salamando to jump above Scizor, dive down, and unleash his Flamethrower. There was no way for Scizor to protect himself from this attack. The burns had also prevented him from moving as quick as he used to. Salamando charged in with a Quick Attack to knock him over. Normal-type attacks don't typically do much damage to steel-type Pokémon, but that simple attack was enough to defeat Scizor. When he fell and hit the ground, Scizor was now back to being a regular Pokémon.

Bugsy wasn't too disappointed that he lost. He was actually impressed. Not many trainers have defeated his Scizor as a Mega Evolved Pokémon. He approached Emily and congratulated her. "That was impressive, Emily. The way the match was going, I didn't think my Scizor would lose after having Mega Evolved. But you executed a really great strategy. Here, this Hive badge is yours."

Emily thanked Bugsy and took her badge. She also raised it in the air and cheered in triumph. Bugsy even told the rest of the heroes that he would like to battle them sometime too if they would ever come back to Azalea Town. Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba liked the sound of that. With that being settled, Emily and Bugsy shook hands.

Before leaving Azalea Town, the heroes returned to Kurt's house to receive their Pokéballs. Maisie was already at the front door waiting for them. When they arrived, Maisie gave them their Pokéballs on her grandfather's behalf. Yugi got a Lure Ball, Emily got a Love Ball, Joey got a Friend Ball, and Kaiba got a Level Ball. After receiving their new Pokéballs, the heroes decided it was time to head out for the next town.


	14. Making a Splash

Making a Splash

After leaving Azalea Town, the heroes began passing through the Ilex Forest. Yugi and his friends remembered that in the game, the Ilex Forest was the home of a mythical Pokémon called Celebi and wondered if they would get a chance to see it. But they had to remember that whatever experiences they may face in reality aren't always like how they are in movies or games. So the chances of encountering Celebi seemed impossible. But on the way, the heroes came to a small shrine. No doubt it was built to honor the guardian of the forest. Emily decided to leave an offering for Celebi by placing one of the muffins she made this morning on the pedestal. The boys thought it was a good idea and decided to leave their own offerings. If they couldn't meet Celebi, they could still pay their respects.

After looking through the map of the Johto Region, Kaiba saw that the closest gym would be in Goldenrod City. So it was decided that it would be the next place to go. They made it out of the Ilex Forest and were back in the open plains again. When they saw a lake, the heroes decided it would be the best place to take a break. Joey decided to start making lunch for the group. He got water, vegetables, and beef and started making stew. Emily helped out and placed a loaf of bread on the table. After that, she decided to enjoy a swim with her Pokémon.

To pass the time while waiting for lunch, Kaiba and Yugi decided to have a battle. Yugi called on Chikorita and Kaiba called on Cyndaquil. It's true that fire-type Pokémon have an advantage against grass-type Pokemon, but sometimes, type advantages don't always matter. And knowing how games and battles always go between these two friends, it would come to no surprise if Yugi would defeat Kaiba. The brunette made the first move by getting Cyndaquil fired up and ready to use Flamethrower. Chikorita tried to dodge, but ended up taking some damage. Knowing grass-type attacks aren't very effective against fire-type Pokémon, Yugi commands Chikorita to land a Tackle attack. Cyndaquil dodges by using Flame Wheel. He also charges in for an attack and sends Chikorita flying. To try and calm her opponent, Chikorita uses her Sweet Scent. Taken in by the aroma, Cyndaquil stops to enjoy the scent. Chikorita uses Vine Whip to catch the branch and swing through the trees and Tackle on Cyndaquil. The little Pokémon accidently ends up getting pushed into the lake.

Emily catches Cyndaquil and brings him back to shore. He was soaked and being wet really affected his speed and weakened his firepower. Yugi and Kaiba agreed to end the battle right here. It wouldn't be right or fair if the brunette lost because of an accident his opponent caused. And it was a good thing they ended their battle when they did because it was time to eat.

After lunch, the team decided to rest their stomachs for a while. Joey created a fishing rod with a branch and some twine that he packed with him and decided to fish for some Pokémon. Emily decided to look at the treasures she found while swimming in the lake. She had a hobby for collecting pretty rocks and bringing them home and that was how she happened to come across the evolutionary stones she found on the way. This time, she found a Water Stone and a King's Rock and decided to store them in her bag.

Undine was swimming in the lake with Wooper and Totodile though Joey asked them not to. "Would you guys please stop swimming around? I can't catch any Pokémon if you mourn them away." But suddenly he felt a small tug. The pull was getting stronger. That meant that Joey had caught a bite. He used all of his strength to pull the branch and he reeled in a Poliwag. It was a tadpole of a Pokémon and had a swirl pattern on its belly. Joey wasn't going to let this chance slip away. He was going to catch Poliwag. He whistled to get Wooper's attention and have him battle Poliwag. Two slippery Pokémon were going to go at it with each other. They slapped each other with their tails and tackled each other. Before Poliwag can fall back in the water, Joey tosses his Pokéball to catch it. He catches the Pokéball with his hand so it doesn't touch the ground. The Pokéball rotates for a few times, then the center glows, signaling that the capture was a success. Joey raised the Pokéball in the air and cheered in triumph.

His friends cheered for him, but Kaiba felt a little disappointment in himself. He was the only one in the group who had not yet found a new Pokémon to join his group. It wasn't his fault. He just hadn't found any of interest yet. But there would come a time. For now, he and his friends would just continue their journey.

At the end of the plains was a mountain said to have contained a path people could pass through. It was called the Onix Tunnel. It didn't sound like a safe place to pass through. Onix were dangerous in the wild and didn't always take kindly to humans. Joey told his friends not to worry. Onix were rock-type Pokémon and those types of Pokémon didn't like water. With Joey's team of water-type Pokémon, the Onix wouldn't give them any trouble. And where there's a tunnel, there's bound to be some interesting stones. As they were passing through the tunnel, they noticed that many of the Onix were sound asleep. As long as the heroes were careful and wouldn't make any noise, the Onix wouldn't attack.

When the heroes saw the light at the end of the tunnel, Joey couldn't help but cheer. They were about to head outside until the group felt rumbling in their heels. An Onix came up from behind and softly growled. None of the heroes wanted to fight and they tried reasoning with Onix, but the rock snake wouldn't listen. The only way out of this was to have a battle. Joey called on Totodile for help. The little blue alligator launched his Water Gun. He hoped it would give the Onix a hint about going away. But instead, the water made him angry. Onix used his tail to push Totodile away. Emily rushed to catch Totodile and fell back as she caught him. Her collection of rocks fell out of her backpack. Undine saw the Water Stone Emily found in the lake. She always found water to be fun as well as refreshing. But sometimes, it's not supposed to be fun. A personal strength can be used as a weapon and responsibility has to come first. Undine had to do the right thing not just as an older sister or a leader, but as a partner. She had to use what she loved to her advantage to save her friends.

Undine hurried and touched the Water Stone and her body began glowing. Her fluffy brown fur turned into stretchy blue skin, her fluffy tail turned into a fish-like tail, and she had a frilly collar around her neck. Undine had now evolved into Vaporeon. She also quickly learned Water Gun and used it to attack Onix. The rock snake was weak and couldn't fight anymore. Kaiba decided to use this opportunity to catch him and tossed his Pokéball. Although Onix was inside, it wasn't yet contained. The Pokéball rotated a few times until the center glowed. At last, Kaiba had succeeded in capturing his first Pokémon. All of his friends cheered for him.

Even Undine received congratulations. Emily approached her and said, "Wow, Undine. I can't believe you did that for us. Thank you."

Kaiba agreed. "If you hadn't evolved to help us, we wouldn't have gotten out of the tunnel and I wouldn't have finally caught my first Pokémon."

Undine accepted everyone's thanks. "I love water because it's so refreshing and cool and I have lots of fun from it. But I love you the same way I love my brothers and sisters. That's how I knew what had to be done. I had to use what I love to save those I love. And from now on, that's exactly what I'm going to do."

Emily nods and smiles and picks up Undine to hug her. Undine knew that now that she was a Vaporeon, she wouldn't get the same refreshment she felt as an Eevee when she took baths. But now she could breathe underwater and swim better than before.

Before leaving the Onix Tunnel, the boys helped Emily pick up her collection of rocks. They noticed that some of them were small, smooth, and round like pearls. They were colorful too. Joey picked one up and wondered, "Is it me or do these look like Mega Stones?"

"If they are, then you've got a good eye, Briar," Kaiba told Emily. "But there's no telling what kinds of Mega Stones they are."

"I guess we'll have to wait and see," said Yugi. "Let's just hold on to them and see if we can find anyone to tell us what kinds of Mega Stones they are." His friends agreed and decided to let Emily hold on to the Stones. With that being settled, the heroes could finally leave the Onix Tunnel.


	15. Hour of the Houndour

Hour of the Houndour

It was starting to get late. Yugi and his friends knew that if they didn't reach the nearby Pokémon Center, then they would have to camp out for the night. Rather than keep walking, everyone agreed to set up camp. They agreed that they had all gone far enough for today. Goldenrod City wouldn't be going anywhere.

As usual, Emily and Yugi would gather firewood and water and Joey would make dinner with everyone's help. Kaiba even gave the Pokémon their own dinner as well. Finally, the table was set and everyone could eat. "I thought you guys would be tired of having stew and chowder all the time, so I thought we'd have sandwiches tonight," Joey told his friends. The meal was arranged so everyone could make their sandwiches to their liking with the different meats and vegetables. There weren't a lot of condiments, but they all decided to bear with it.

"Thanks, Joey," Yugi told him. "I admit, having the same meal more than once can be tiring."

"It can make you sick too," Kaiba added. "You become tired of it and decide you don't like it as much as you used to."

"We're having a different kind of desert tonight too," said Emily. She held out a bowl with slices of apples and oranges.

"Aw, come on, Em," Joey complained. "You always make your deserts sweet pastries or breads filled with nuts, fruit, chocolate, or fruit paste."

"Desert doesn't have to be like that all the time," she corrected. "It can just be plain fruit too. It's actually pretty healthy and there's fluids in them to keep consumers hydrated."

Kaiba grinned. "At least someone pays attention in nutrition class."

The problem with having different foods on the table was that each scent drew the attention of wild animals. It was no different with Pokémon. Nearby, a bush rustled. From inside emerged a canine Pokémon called Houndour. It was a black dog with a red orange underbody and a skeletal-like armor. It smelled the food and approached the table. It also got on its hind legs and tried reaching for the beef and turkey.

Kaiba was the first to notice the dog Pokémon. "Hey, get away from there!" he cried. Startled, Houndour got down and backed away. The brunette got up and began approaching Houndoom, but as he did, the young dog arched his back, bared his teeth, and growled fiercely. Kaiba had to be careful. He knew that Pokémon like Houndour often live in packs and if he did anything to threaten this canine, his comrades would come running. Houndour held his ground and wouldn't relax. The brunette didn't want to do anything alarming, so he stepped back and reached for his sandwich. Houndour perked his ears up and stopped growling. Kaiba grasped his sandwich and held it out to Houndour. The young canine sniffed the meal that was offered to him, wondering if it was a trick. He couldn't smell anything foul, so he took the sandwich and ran back into the woods.

Kaiba wasn't concerned that the Houndour took off, but he had a feeling that he wouldn't be gone. "That dog's going to keep coming back as long as we have our food sitting out," he warned his friends. "Let's put it away."

"What good will that do?" Joey asked. "We don't have anywhere to spend the night. If Houndour comes back, he'll sniff through our supplies and steal us blind. And worse, he might bring his buddies back with him." The others certainly agree with the idea of getting involved with a pack. But they didn't notice any other Houndour. Nonetheless, everyone agreed to take turns standing guard in case Houndour would come back.

After dinner, everyone washed up and unrolled their sleeping bags. With no tents, changing clothes would be a little hard to do because they would all be so exposed. Emily put a blindfold on over her eyes and turned away so the boys could change clothes. Kaiba put on a pair of wool pants and a purple t-shirt with an emblem of the legendary bird Pokémon Moltres.

Yugi noticed and said, "Kaiba, is that Moltres?"

"Mm-hmm," he replied. "I wear it as a pajama shirt."

"That's cool. Check this out." And Yugi showed his friend that he was wearing a white t-shirt with an emblem of the legendary bird Pokémon Articuno.

"I've got one too," Joey bragged. He was wearing an orange t-shirt with an emblem of the last legendary bird Pokémon Zapdos. Looking at the emblems, the boys noticed that the elements represented by the bird Pokémon were the same elements represented by the Legendary Knights. That was why they got their shirts customized with the emblems.

Emily would have invited herself to take part in the conversation, but she had to remain considerate and wait until her friends were finished. When they did, they told her she could get into her pajamas now. Instead of wearing her usual nightgown, she was dressed in a tank top and pajama pants with Pikachu on them.

The blonde girl decided to take the first watch with Shade's help. It seemed pretty quiet and the only sound was the rustling of trees in the wind. To keep Emily from falling asleep, Shade would gently bite her hand. He wouldn't alert her unless he sensed an enemy, but he didn't want her to fall asleep on the job.

Suddenly, Shade's ears perked up. He also picked up a strange scent in the air. If it was the same Houndour from earlier this evening, then it would confirm that Kaiba's suspicions were right and he was coming back hungry for more. Carefully, Emily approached everyone's backpacks. Shade arched his back to keep his guard.

And Houndour did come back. The rings on Shade's body lit up and the light shined on the canine Pokémon. "You again," Emily whispered, trying not to wake the boys. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying not to starve," Houndour answered. "What are you doing?"

"I'm standing guard," she told him.

"Well, you can relax. I do get hungry, but I'm not going to steal your food," he promised.

That was a relief. Emily didn't want this to result in fighting. Curious, she asked, "Shouldn't you be getting back to your pack?"

Houndour lied down on his stomach. "We're nocturnal. We often break up and forage at night. By morning, we regroup back at our den." That explained a little. And because Houndour lived in packs, if one member was in danger, all it had to do was send out an S.O.S. and the rest of the pack members would come running to the rescue. Sometimes the pack would get smaller because some Houndour would get captured to join the parties of traveling trainers. But it wasn't something to be too concerned about. If a Houndour liked the passerby, then it wouldn't mind becoming a partner. Other times, loyalty to comrades would get in the way and that was why some Houndour remained with their packs.

The young canine turned his attention to Kaiba. "I have to give your friend credit for being smart. He knew what I wanted and gave it to me without causing trouble."

Emily agreed. "Kaiba always studies his opponents carefully before making any rash decisions. It doesn't always work in his favor, but at least he always thinks things through."

"That's how our pack has slightly diminished," Houndour told her. "We observe and interact with the people who pass near our grounds. If we deem them worthy of companionship from us, we're willing to join them. If not, well, it can be pretty messy. But there are times when we like the humans we meet, but would rather stay with the pack. So we try not to get too fond of travelers."

Emily figured she could guess how often that happened and she wondered if this encounter was just like the previous times. "What are your feelings towards us?"

"You seem like pretty nice humans," the young canine replied. "But I'll have to judge for myself." Houndour had even chosen the human he wanted to test. He saw Kaiba sleeping and lied down beside him. "We'll want an early start tomorrow. You should get some sleep too."

The blonde girl agreed and got into her sleeping bag. Shade decided to stay on the lookout in case Houndour would try to do anything sneaky or if more pack members would come.

By the time dawn started to break, Kaiba began to stir. He was always an early riser and liked to get a quick start. As he sat up, he noticed a dark figure lying beside him. "What in the-?" To his surprise, it was the same Houndour from yesterday evening. "You came back," he whispered. Kaiba knew that dogs were loyal, but wondered if there was more to this canine. Houndour woke up to the feel of Kaiba's hand on his head. He lifted his head up and softly growled.

Shade licked Emily to wake her up. He had been up all night keeping watch and wasn't feeling very tired. The blonde woke up and smiled. "Good morning," she whispered and began petting him.

Shade chuckled and purred. "Look over there," he told her.

Emily followed his gaze and saw Kaiba petting Houndour. She got out of her sleeping bag and approached her friend. "Houndour came back because he wanted to thank you for the meal."

"Is that so?" Kaiba asked. "You didn't have to stay all night. You could have just woken me up."

"Houndour was afraid that if he did, you and the others would have gotten the impression that he would have come back to steal the rest of our food and if that happened, it all would have turned into a fight," Emily explained. That was understandable. Houndour were intimidating, but they were only fierce when they needed to be. Houndour gripped Kaiba's sleeve in his teeth and began pulling.

Kaiba didn't know what this was about. "Briar, you understand Pokémon better. Can you tell me what Houndour wants?"

The blonde chuckled. "Isn't it obvious? Houndour wants to challenge you to a battle. You see, Houndour sees something good in you and wants to have a battle with you to confirm his suspicions. That's why he stayed here with you all night. He wanted you to be at full power and ready."

Kaiba gave it some thought and figured he liked the sound of that. So he accepted Houndour's challenge. But he had to get ready first. So he changed clothes, washed his face, brushed his teeth, and was ready.

To make this a fair fight, Kaiba chose Cyndaquil to face Houndour. He could have chosen Onix to have a type advantage, but Cyndaquil seemed like a better opponent. Talk about fighting fire with fire. Houndour made the first move by intimidating Cyndaquil with a Leer attack. Cyndaquil trembled, but held his ground. He attacked with Swift, but the canine rolled over to dodge. Houndour launched his Flamethrower attack, but Cyndaquil countered with his own Flamethrower. They kept going at it with each other and wouldn't let up. Finally, they stopped to breathe. Kaiba acted quick and tossed his Pokéball at Houndour. The ball rotated a few times, but Houndour broke free. This wasn't going to be easy.

Houndour used Smog to obscure his surroundings and hide from his enemy. Cyndaquil couldn't see and didn't know where to attack from. Houndour emerged from the Smog and tackled Cyndaquil. The little fire rat tried to get up. He looked at the canine and laid a fierce gaze. Suddenly, Cyndaquil began glowing. This meant one thing: he was evolving. When the light subsided, he looked like a great ferret with fire burning on its back. He was now a Quilava. This match may go in Kaiba's favor after all. He commanded Quilava to attack with Flame Wheel. The fire would actually raise Houndour's attack status because of his special ability of Flash Fire, but charging at him would also deal some damage. Houndour was tossed into the air and ended up crashing into a tree. Houndour groaned and tried to get up. Instead, he faced Kaiba and grinned. He decided he was right about Kaiba after that last attack. Kaiba grinned back and tossed his Pokéball. The ball rotated a few times, but Kaiba was steady. The center glowed, signaling that the capture was a success. Kaiba was pleased with the way the battle turned out. Typically, he wasn't a dog person, but he figured Houndour would make a good addition to the team after their encounter. Not to mention Cyndaquil evolved into Quilava. Kaiba knew it would be a matter of time. He had been battling with his first Pokémon a lot.


	16. Shining Friendship

Shining Friendship

Emily took time bathing and grooming her Pokémon. Undine seemed to take her sweet time in the water. It did wonders for her complexion and the water was nice and warm. But as much as she loved the water and wanted to stay, she had to remember that her brothers and sisters had been waiting patiently and needed their baths too. Salamando didn't mind waiting a little longer. Being a fire-type, he didn't tolerate water like he used to. He wouldn't mind if it was warm, but he didn't like the feel of being scratched as he was being washed. Sylphid still liked taking baths, but he had to be careful not to zap Emily by accident. Shade seemed to tolerate it more than his older brothers. His fur was still smooth and he wouldn't cause any accidents. Lumina loved being bathed as much as Undine did and she loved being groomed just as much. She would feel like she was being massaged and her fur would be refreshed. Luna liked it too and wanted to be healthy and pretty like her big sisters.

As Emily took care of her Pokémon, she began to realize that she hadn't been taking the girls into account. Although she had been training all of the family, it was the boys who brought her victory in her battles. The girls hadn't yet gotten a chance. And though Luna was trying hard to be strong like her brothers and sisters, she hadn't won a match yet. But Emily promised she was going to start training with the girls again. But not right now since everyone just got cleaned.

Goldenrod City was still a long way away and the heroes wondered if they were ever going to make it. On the way, they saw a sign that carried a warning. Ghost Pokémon wandered in this forest and liked to play mischievous pranks and the sign advised travelers to have a psychic Pokémon. The heroes were confused. Psychic-type Pokémon were usually weak against ghost-type Pokémon and their attacks. But it was their brilliant minds and wits that allowed psychic Pokémon to expose ghosts and escape tricks.

To everyone's amazement, a psychic Pokémon had appeared. It was Girafarig, a Pokémon that looked like a giraffe with a chain chomp for a tail. It was quite a peculiar Pokémon. If this place was as dangerous as the warning said, then the heroes figured it would be best to have a psychic Pokémon on hand.

Joey carefully approached Girafarig. "Hi there," he said softly. "Don't be scared. We're not going to hurt you." Girafarig looked at Joey in curiosity, stretched his neck, and sniffed him. Joey smiled and held out his hand to pet him. Girafarig sniffed his hand and bleated happily. "See? What'd I tell you? I just want to be your friend."

This was getting to be a little tiring. What was Joey waiting for? Was he going to battle Girafarig or not? The answer was revealed when Joey held out his Pokéball. "What do you say, Girafarig? Want to come along?"

Before Girafarig could give an answer, he sensed an ominous force in the air and pranced away. "Wait a minute, don't go," cried Joey.

"Let it go," Emily told him. "Girafarig must've sensed something dangerous and decided it had to escape."

The clouds started to become dark and it was starting to get cold. Either a storm was picking up or ghost Pokemon were up to their tricks. Yugi called on Hoothoot and Emily called on Lumina. Shade would have been a better choice, but Emily promised she would start battling with the girls more. Hoothoot used Foresight to expose any ghost Pokémon in the area. It was a couple of Misdreavus playing pranks.

"Do we have to do this?" Lumina asked Emily. "I just had this coat cleaned."

Emily remembered that Lumina was the daintiest of the siblings and didn't like getting her fur ruffled up after being groomed. "I know, but we don't have to fight. We just have to be careful."

"So what's the point of this?"

"I promised you and the rest of the family we would all work together. I haven't been working well with you and your sisters like I have with your brothers. I want to change that so we can all get strong and learn and grow from one another. I don't like picking favorites, Lumina, and I don't love one more than I love the rest. I love you all equally. I'm sorry the battles between us haven't brought the good results like we hoped, but though we didn't always get a victory, we remembered the friendships we made and didn't lose sight of what's important."

As Lumina listens to what Emily's saying, she begins to reflect on her battles. It was true that Lumina didn't win a battle, but she never lost one either. She always called it even with her opponents like Yugi's Chikorita. There were things more important than victory and friendship was one of them. It was even more important than a neat fur coat. _Emily's right,_ Lumina thought to herself. _Who cares about getting dirty? When fighting for a friend or someone you love, getting dirty is the least of your problems. Emily wants to help me and I want to help her too. So I'm going to protect her and her friends._ So she approached the Misdreavus and was ready for battle. When she did, her body began glowing. She became larger and her brown fur became pink and shorter and smoother. The tip of her tail had also split and she had a red gem on her forehead. She had now evolved into Espeon.

"Look at that," Yugi said in awe. "Lumina evolved into Espeon!"

"Awesome," said Joey. "Now we've got a psychic Pokémon!" Then suddenly, Girafarig leaped over the heroes and joined Lumina for the battle. "Girafarig came back!" The Pokémon nod and agree to fight the Misdreavus together. Girafarig uses his Psybeam and Lumina attacks with Psychic. Feeling dazed with all of that psychic power, the ghost Pokémon turn around and run away.

The heroes cheered for their victory. Lumina turned around and leapt into Emily's arms. "Oh, Lumina, I'm so proud of you," Emily said as she hugged her.

"Ow, ow, careful," Lumina winced.

Emily eased her grip a little. "Oh, I'm sorry."

Lumina forgave Emily. "That's all right. I guess now that I'm an Espeon, I'm a little sensitive."

"That's right. Espeon are sensitive Pokémon; especially with their ears and tails."

"I thought about what you said and you were right," Lumina told Emily. "Friendship is more important because it helps us to get stronger. And when we have someone as well as something worth fighting for, we can never lose. And remembering our friendship was what made it possible for me to evolve."

The blonde girl nods in agreement. "I love you, Lumina," she said and gently hugged her. "You're so thoughtful and so good."

"That's because I have a partner who's also good and thoughtful," Lumina returned. "And I love you too." And she gave her a kiss on the cheek. She turned and gave her attention to Girafarig. "Hey, Girafarig, thanks for your help."

"Yeah, thanks for coming to our rescue," said Emily.

Joey agreed. "I appreciate your help, but I still need an answer. Do you want to come with me?" Girafarig bleated happily and touched Joey's Pokéball. The ball rotated in Joey's hand, but the center glowed. Joey had a new friend for the party. And with two psychic Pokémon, the heroes would make sure the ghost Pokémon wouldn't give them any trouble on the way.


	17. A Goldernod Opportunity

A Goldenrod Opportunity

It's been a long time coming, but the heroes finally made it to their destination along the Johto Region. They were finally in reach of Goldenrod City.

"I can't believe we're finally here," Emily said with glee.

"This place is huge," said Joey. "It's bigger than Domino."

"That makes this an easy city to get lost in," said Kaiba. "We've got to stay together."

Goldenrod City was definitely a metropolis. It was hard to find the gym. But as the heroes continued to find their way around, they were intrigued by the sales in the shops and the fine dining. None of them would mind being preoccupied with browsing around shops or sampling a few snacks.

When they finally found the Goldenrod gym, there was a sign that read that the gym would be closed until tomorrow. It was disappointing, but they didn't come all this way for nothing. They would spend the rest of the day exploring the city and stocking up on supplies.

After eating lunch, the heroes decided they wanted to check out the Goldenrod Galleria. On the way, a Clefairy came by and surprised the heroes. "There you are," a voice cried. Everyone turned and saw a young girl with dark pink hair and white clothes. "Sorry about that. My Clefairy has a tendency to wander off."

"No harm done," said Emily. "We were just on our way to the Goldenrod Galleria until your Clefairy came by."

"If you want, I can take you there," the girl offered. "I know my way around like I know my own name and that's Whitney," she introduced.

"Thanks. We would like that a lot," said Emily. "We just got here and we're not familiar with the city. My name is Emily and these are my friends Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba."

Whitney became ecstatic when she heard their names. "No way! The four champions of Duel Monsters? Oh, wow, this is so exciting! I can't believe I'm meeting you guys and getting to show you around!"

The heroes chuckled nervously at Whitney's enthusiasm, but they didn't mind hanging around with her as they would explore the city. To avoid the crowded streets, she led them to the tunnels that led underground. Not only would passersby cut through to the other side of the city, but they would also get to enjoy the arcades and salons and mini marts.

Unfortunately, the tunnel led them further away from the Goldenrod Galleria. Whitney was embarrassed, but she remained optimistic and told her new friends not to worry. All they had to do was backtrack and take another route. It actually worked. The funny thing Whitney thought about herself was that she always knew where she was going when she didn't know where she was going. But after the confusion and embarrassment, everyone was where they wanted to be.

"Well, I think we'll hang out here for a while, then find a Pokémon Center where we can rest," Emily decided.

"Thanks for taking us around, Whitney," Joey said. He admitted to himself that she was a bit of a ditz, but he didn't mind. He was the same way sometimes.

Whitney was just honored that she got to hang out with the four champions of Duel Monsters. "It was awesome meeting you guys, but Clefairy and I had better get going." So she picked up her Pokémon and went on her way.

The stores in the Galleria showed intriguing merchandise like jewelry, clothes, accessories, appliances, electronics, toys, almost everything. But although Emily and her friends admired the different merchandises and were intrigued by the sales, they avoided the temptation of buying anything. None of them wanted to go through the trouble of dragging unnecessary luggage. As they climbed to the top floors, they could see everything in the city.

After browsing and window shopping, everyone agreed that it was time to go. So they left the Goldenrod Galleria and went on their way to find the Pokémon Center. On the way, they came to the Magnet Train station. Travelers could take the train and cut through to Saffron City in the Kanto Region. It sounded exhilarating, but they didn't have the time to take a large detour. Everyone agreed to finish traveling through the Johto Region before exploring Kanto.

When they finally found the Pokémon Center, the heroes met up with Whitney again. "Hi, Whitney," Emily called out.

She turned around and gave them her attention. "Hi, Emily. Hey, guys. Did you get to shop around?"

"Yeah, but we decided not to buy anything," the blonde girl answered. "We came back here to rest up after an exciting day and for tomorrow."

"You see, that's why we came here," Yugi was saying. "Emily's going to challenge the Goldenrod gym leader when the gym opens up again tomorrow."

"Why didn't you just say so," Whitney asked. "I could have taken you there right away."

"We were there before we met you, but the sign said it was closed until tomorrow," said Joey.

Whitney knew, but she told them not to worry. She was the one who placed the sign on the door because the gym leader decided to take the day off. That was when Emily and the boys figured out that Whitney was the Goldenrod gym leader. And now that she had a challenger, she could welcome the heroes to the gym. "I'd be honored to have a battle with you, Emily," Whitney told her. "It'd be exciting to face one of the champions of Duel Monsters in a Pokémon battle."

"I'd be just as honored, Whitney," Emily said and shook her hand.

As promised, Whitney brought everyone back to the Goldenrod gym. Thankfully, this time, there were no detours. It seemed to be the only place Whitney knew how to get to. The referee raised her voice and made her announcement. "Emily Briar, the challenger, faces Whitney, the Goldenrod City gym leader in a Pokémon Battle. A Plain badge is at stake. This will be a three on three match, but only the challenger will be permitted to substitute Pokémon. Are you ready?"

"I'm ready for a real rumble," Whitney replied. "Are you?"

"I'm ready too," Emily replied.

The referee raised the flags and cried, "Battle begin!"

Whitney tossed her Pokéball and called on Nidorina. Emily tossed her Pokéball and called on Lumina. It was a good choice. Poison-type Pokémon like Nidorina are weak against psychic attacks. Nidorina attacked with her Poison Sting, but Lumina countered with Swift. Nidorina charged in for a Tackle, but Lumina stopped her with Psychic. The attack took its toll on Nidorina and she was no longer able to battle.

Whitney chose Clefairy as her next Pokémon. The pink fairy stepped into the battlefield and began waving her fingers in the air. Emily knew what was coming. Clefairy was using Metronome; an attack that would become a random attack. Emily warned Lumina to stay on her toes because there was no telling what Metronome was going to be. The suspense turned into disappointment when the attack turned out to be Rain Dance. Bored with her opponent's attack, Lumina used Swift. Clefairy got frightened and started running to avoid damage.

"Stop," Whitney pleaded, "Clefairy can't take this!" So Whitney lost that round due to Clefairy's forefeit. It didn't matter. This last Pokémon was Whitney's trump card. It was Miltank, a milk cow Pokémon. Miltank were usually mild-tempered and didn't like to battle, but that didn't mean they were pushovers. This Miltank was going to be a very formidable foe.

She was already proving to be when she bowled Lumina over with a Rollout attack. Sure enough, Miltank was no pushover. And it was going to get worse because as long as Miltank would use Rollout, her attack would get stronger and she would move faster. Lumina tried to slow her down with her Psychic attack, but Miltank just kept coming. And because Miltank was moving faster, even Lumina's ability of clairvoyance would be of no help to her. There was no telling where Miltank was going to attack from and even if she knew, she wouldn't have time to escape. Miltank bowled Lumina over once more, knocking her out.

Emily called Lumina back and gave her praise for her effort. She chose Undine to battle. Rain Dance was still in effect, so a damp field could give her a field point advantage. But it helped Miltank too. Because the floor was slick, it raised her speed. Miltank was ready to bowl Undine over with Rollout. Undine tried to slow her down with her Water Gun, but Miltank kept coming and charged at her. Undine kept using Water Gun as much as she could, but got knocked out the same way her sister did. Now Emily was down to one last Pokémon. That could actually be all she needs. The rain stopped, but the arena was still wet and so was Miltank. Emily called on Sylphid to finish the job his sisters started. Miltank was using Rollout again. Sylphid tried to attack with Thunder Shock, but Miltank wasn't taking a lot of damage. The maneuver would have worked, but the problem was Miltank was rolling so fast, her fur dried off quickly. Sylphid tried zapping the field instead, but even that didn't do a lot. All he could do now was match speed for speed, but even he couldn't keep up with Miltank. He ended up with same defeat as his sisters. The match was over and Whitney was the winner.

"That was a great battle, Emily," she complimented. "And if you ever want a rematch, just let me know."

Emily said nothing. She looked at the ground in sadness. She was sorry for what she put her Pokémon through, which also caused her to be disappointed in herself.

"With a Pokémon like Miltank, what's the point of having a rematch," Joey wondered.

"Joey," Yugi scolded.

Emily remained in silence, but finally got up and left the arena. The boys followed her and went to the Pokémon Center.


	18. A Dairy Tale Ending

A Dairy Tale Ending

Emily sat in the lobby as she waited to hear the news of her Pokémon. Nurse Joy came by and gave her some reassuring news. "Don't worry, Emily. All your Pokémon need is a good night's sleep and they'll be good as new tomorrow."

"Thank you," Emily said gratefully. This wasn't something Nurse Joy wasn't used to. Many of Whitney's challengers came here after their battles and some of them ended up in worse shape than Undine, Lumina, and Sylphid did. These three siblings seemed to have better luck. That was somewhat good news.

The boys weren't sure how to handle the situation at hand. "Emily lost her gym battle," said Joey. "Does this mean we're gonna be stuck here in this world for the rest of our lives?"

"No," Kaiba answered. "A Plain badge was at stake, not a Cobalt Star shard. We still have a chance."

"What chance does Emily have against a Pokémon like Miltank?" Joey asked. "No matter what Pokémon she chooses or what attack she tries, Miltank's just gonna do the same thing and bowl her Pokémon over with Rollout. How can Emily land an attack if she can't even slow Miltank down, let alone stop her?"

For once, none of them knew what to do. This was a first for any of the boys. It was one thing to fight Miltank in the games, but this was reality and the battle was very different. Emily overheard their discussion, but didn't invite herself to join in. She decided to go to bed.

The next morning, Emily returned to the lobby to pick up her Pokémon. The doors opened and Undine, Lumina, and Sylphid were happy to see her. She was happy in the same way to see them looking lively and well again. But the disappointment she felt from her defeat was still lingering. "I'm really sorry for what I put you three through. If I had known what we were going to be up against, I wouldn't have put you in harm's way."

"It's okay, Emily," said Lumina. "We all did our best and that's what matters."

"So you're not upset or disappointed?" the blonde girl asked.

"Of course not," Undine replied. "Win or lose, we're still a great team and we'll always love you."

Emily smiled a little. "I just thought you'd hate me for not knowing what I was doing out there."

"You executed good strategies," Sylphid debated. "Miltank was just a tough opponent. After our defeat when the girls and I tried to sleep, we were afraid you'd be mad at us for letting you down."

Emily shakes her head. "You could never let me down and I could never be mad at any of you. We'll find a way to beat Miltank," she promised and hugged her Pokémon.

Just then, Whitney's voice was heard. "Good morning!" Everyone turned and saw her coming their way. "I came to see how your Pokémon were doing after yesterday's big battle," she told Emily.

Emily appreciated her consideration. "Thanks, Whitney. We're all feeling much better."

Whitney got an idea and decided to treat her friends to something special. "I got someplace I want to take you guys. Come with me," she says, not giving them a chance to answer. Yugi and the others followed her anyway.

She brought the group to the outskirts where her Uncle Milton ran a dairy farm. It was actually one of the best places to visit and a very convenient place. The milk produced by Miltank was very delicious and nutritious. It had the ability to heal sick and injured Pokémon and people used it to make ice cream, yogurt, cream, butter, cheese, and plenty of treats. If it was good as it was rumored to be, then Yugi and his friends couldn't wait to sample a few tastes.

When they got to the house, Whitney and Milton treated their guests to some milk and treats. Whitney got an idea and suggested, "Hey, Emily, why don't you let Sylphid, Undine, and Lumina have some milk too? It'll be good for them after their battle."

"Good idea," Emily agreed and released them from their Pokéballs. Milton placed some dishes of milk on the floor. Sylphid and his sisters drank and found themselves feeling better than they had in a long time. Even Emily and her friends enjoyed the milk. "This really is good," Emily said with gratification. "I'm feeling refreshed and strong."

"I'm a city person, but I have to admit, this is satisfying," Kaiba complimented.

Joey agreed. "And it's good and tasty, just how I like it."

Milton came back and offered Whitney and her friends some yogurt and cheese. It was just as delicious and favorable. After enjoying the treats, Whitney decided to go to the hills to train Miltank. Emily decided to tag along to see how Miltank came to be so strong. It would also give her an idea on what she could do to strategize against her. As Emily watched, she saw that Miltank was rolling down the hills and up again. That was how she came to be so fast. Then she wondered, maybe it was the battlefield itself that gave Miltank such great speed. Maybe that was the key to stopping Miltank. In battle, coordination and balance are everything. That was when Emily knew what she could do to get Miltank to lose her balance.

Finally, she gathered her courage and approached Whitney. "Excuse me, Whitney."

"Oh, hi, Emily. What's up?"

"Sorry to interrupt your training, but I'd like to ask for something from you."

"Sure. What is it?"

"I'd like to face you and Miltank in a rematch."

Whitney had been waiting for Emily to say so. "I'd be happy to face you in a rematch. Would you like to come back to the gym tomorrow?"

Emily actually had another request. "Actually, I'd like for us to battle right here and now. Is that too much to ask?"

Whitney shook her head. "There's no such thing as a tall order from a champion. If it would honor you for us to battle here and now, then I accept your request."

The stage was sent, but Emily's friends weren't too sure. "Why is she doing this?" Kaiba asked. "Nothing's changed since the last battle."

Yugi disagreed. "Emily is highly observant and takes time to notice things she may have missed. She might actually have a plan."

Just like before, Emily decided to have Lumina face Miltank first. Miltank made the first move by attacking with Rollout. Lumina used Psychic to try to hold Miltank and wear her out, but she was only straining herself as she was concentrating. Miltank charged and attacked Lumina. This wasn't an official gym battle, but Whitney wanted to win as much as Emily did. Lumina was getting tired, but she held her ground and continued focusing her psychic energy on Miltank. But the cow continue to charge and bowl Lumina over.

Lumina couldn't take much more, so Emily called her back and sent Undine to take it from here. Miltank was ready to bowl Undine over with Rollout again, but Undine was ready. Instead of focusing on her opponent, she focused on the battle. A field point advantage worked before and it would work again if adjusted. Undine used Water Gun to make ditches in the ground. As Miltank continued to roll, she got caught in the ditches and ended up losing her balance. This was the opportunity she needed. Emily called Undine back and sent Sylphid to finish the job his sisters started. He jumped in a ditch and as Miltank fell in, Sylphid used Double Kick to toss her in the air and break her coordination. She was tossed and no longer curled up. Sylphid acted fast and zapped Miltank with his Thunder Shock. It did more damage than before and Miltank could no longer battle.

It worked. With their team effort, Emily and her Pokémon were finally able to beat Miltank. Kaiba was amazed. "Briar really did have a plan after all."

Yugi nods. "First she had Lumina wear Miltank out with her psychic powers. Then Undine dug ditches to cause Miltank to lose her balance. When Sylphid got under Miltank and tossed her in the air, that was the opportunity he needed to land an attack."

Whitney approached Miltank with concern. She was going to be fine, but she certainly wasn't expecting this to happen. Whitney hadn't had a challenge like that since a few years ago when another trainer fought Miltank in the same way. That was when Whitney knew what needed to be done. She got on her feet and stood with pride. "I need to give you something, Emily." And she reached into her pocket and held out a Plain badge.

Emily was confused. "But our match wasn't an official gym battle."

"True, but you beat the gym leader's top Pokémon," Whitney explained. "And for that, you've rightfully earned this badge."

For that matter, Emily gladly accepted the Plain badge and cheered in triumph. Her Pokémon and friends cheered with her.

When Emily returned to the Pokémon Center to get her team healed up, word got out fast that she defeated Whitney in a Pokémon battle and won a Plain badge. She was asked to attend this afternoon's radio show for an interview. It was pretty nerve-wracking. Emily had never attended a radio show before. Nonetheless, she decided to go to the radio show to be interviewed.

As if coveting a Plain badge wasn't thrilling enough news, the producer, DJ Mary, quickly learned that Emily and her friends were the four famous duelists and she wanted to interview everybody. Like many other fans, DJ Mary knew of their reputations as dueling champions and figured it must be exciting for them to be Pokémon trainers and are traveling the Johto Region. Emily spoke up and agreed, but she said she had always wanted to see the wonders of the Pokémon world and that would make the journey all the more worthwhile. Traveling and seeing the world was always the better thrill. It was one truth. But the heroes couldn't reveal their motive for being here in the Pokémon world. If they let it out to the public that they were sent here from another world to find a sacred object, listeners would think the heroes were crazy. Thankfully, the interview was over and Yugi and his friends could move on.


	19. To Know the Unknown

To Know the Unknown

The next stop was Ecruteak City. On the way, the heroes came to a national park. It hosted a bug Pokémon catching contest. The disappointing news was competitors had to be younger than sixteen to enter and Yugi and his friends were too old. But it was nothing to fret about. The heroes could come across bug Pokémon anytime.

Although everyone stocked up on supplies before leaving Goldenrod City, they figured it wouldn't hurt to gather fruit from the trees. Joey reached and tried to grab a peach from a tree, but it moved further from him. As Joey reached for the peach again, it moved further again. Looking closely, Joey saw that it wasn't a tree at all. It was actually a Sudowoodo. Researchers had often debated that Sudowoodo was a plant-type Pokémon because of its tree-like appearance. But it was plain to see that Sudowoodo was a rock-type Pokémon because it disliked water and had a solid structure.

Sudowoodo taunted Joey by moving the peach up and down and taunting in song. Irritated, Joey groaned and turned away. He was too hungry to play hard-to-get. Sudowoodo didn't want any trouble either and got further into the forest.

Joey caught up with his friends and they were standing before the Ruins of Alph. Archeologists had come here to unearth Pokémon fossils and take them back for research. The ruins also contained another great mystery. When Yugi and his friends stepped inside the ruins, they felt like they were in an ancient temple. "Look at this place," Emily whispered.

Joey shuddered. "It gives me the creeps. The last time we were in a temple, we fell victim to a lot of traps."

"Maybe not this time," Emily reassured him.

Yugi looked closely at the symbols on the walls. "These look like the rare Pokémon Unown," he said in awe.

Emily agreed. "They don't look like they have any arrangement. That or maybe they read a foreign language." She smiles and tells Yugi, "But if anybody can understand what these symbols say, it's you, Yugi."

Yugi was flattered. "I can read a little," he admitted. It wasn't very surprising to his friends. If Yugi's grandfather could read Egyptian hieroglyphics, maybe he could read and interpret symbols and images too. He started with the Unown because they were shaped like the letters of the alphabet and had eyes in the centers of their bodies. It was even believed in ancient times, people used the Unown symbols in their writings.

What made Unown incredible Pokémon was that they had the power to tap into the thoughts of other life forms and bring them to life. They could make dreams into reality or transport others into someone else's thoughts. It led a great path of intelligence and discovered a lot of personal truths. Because of these incredible mysteries, Unown would not let themselves be captured by humans so easily. Those who had often encountered Unown ended up driven mad in their own dreams and forgotten to live. Yugi and his friends didn't want to meet the same misfortune and agreed to let the Unown continue resting in the Ruins of Alph. Speaking of rest, everyone decided to head to the next town and rest up at the Pokémon Center.


	20. A Hot Water Battle

A Hot Water Battle

Continuing their journey through the Johto Region, the heroes came to an oasis while on the way to Ecruteak City. It was a fortunate opportunity because the heat of the day was really beginning to make them feel hot and tired. Yugi and his friends decided to stop and relax in the hot springs. They changed out of their clothes, put on their swimsuits, and started soaking in the water.

Joey lifted his head out of the water and sighed contentedly. "The hot water is really relaxing."

Emily was in agreement. "My muscles and nerves feel so much better. We needed this after traveling on the road for so long."

Yugi saw Kaiba sitting on the edge and invited him to come in the water. "The water's great, Kaiba. Why don't you come in?"

The brunette kindly refused. "That's okay."

"All right, but if you don't want to come in, why don't you at least soak your feet?"

Kaiba turned away. "I'd rather not, Yugi."

He chuckled and gently pulled him over. "You need to loosen up."

Finally, the brunette gave in and moved his legs in the water. He hissed as he felt the hot water, but began to feel relaxed and sighed. "It's nice," he admitted. He also agreed with his friends that he was feeling a little sore and needed to relax and ease the tensions in his muscles after walking and traveling for so long.

Even the Pokémon were relaxing in their own way. Chikorita was lying down on her stomach and was sunbathing. Hoothoot was eating away at the berries on the trees. Houndour and Quilava were racing around the springs. Totodile was swimming in the water with Wooper and Poliwag. Mareep was grazing in the grass. Girafarig stretched his neck and ate the fruit in the trees. And finally, the siblings were having their own fun.

Shade was trying to take a nap under the sun, but Sylphid was keeping him awake as he was exercising. "Could you keep it down, Brother? I'm trying to get some sleep."

"Sorry, little bro," Sylphid apologized. "I'm too hyper to settle down."

Agitated, Shade charges at Sylphid and knocks him into the water. "Maybe a hot bath will change that." But a second later, Sylphid came to the surface, grabbed Shade, and pulled him into the water. Shade got up and gasped for air. "What was that for?"

"If you splash someone with water, they'll feel wide awake," Sylphid replied. "And if you're wide awake, you won't want to sleep and we can have fun." He got out of the springs and shook the water off of his fur.

Shade did the same thing and began chasing his brother around. "Come here, you! I'm gonna get you! Wait 'till I get you dirty!"

Undine was swimming around in the water while Lumina was grooming herself and Luna. When they heard their brothers yelling, they got out of the water to see what the commotion was. Sylphid continued to torment Shade as he was running from him. "Am I too fast for my little brother?"

"Just wait 'till I get my paws on you," Shade warned. Salamado was watching the chase too and rolled his eyes. He always liked getting into playful fights with his brothers, but he just wanted to relax this time. When Sylphid stopped at a tree, Shade tried to catch him. "I've got you now!" But just when he charged, Sylphid got out of the way and Shade crashed into a tree and a coconut fell and landed on him.

"Should we stop them?" Lumina asked Undine.

She shook her head. "Let them get their exercise."

Luna laughed as she watched her brothers. "It's always fun."

Shade got back on his feet and began chasing Sylphid again. "Hey, come over here," he cried.

Now the brothers were arching their backs and jumping around. "You dare to challenge the strongest and fastest of the family?" Sylphid challenged. "Haven't you any idea who you're dealing with?"

"Precisely," Shade answered. "A total pain!"

"Pain is right," Sylphid retorted. "And you're gonna be in a lot of it when I'm through with you." And they began butting each other and pawing each other. Because they were playing, they weren't really hurting each other. Sylphid would always torment his brothers and sisters to get them to play with him. But it helped his siblings too. They would get stronger and learn to defend themselves.

As much as the girls liked watching their brothers go at it with each other, they decided they wanted to play a game too. They decided to play with Emily's tambourine. Luna would pat it with her paws and her sisters would move to her command. When the music would stop, the girls would have to strike a pose. Lumina got on her hind legs and winked and Undine placed her tail close to her face like it was a fan.

As Emily watched her Pokémon, she saw that they were all having fun. But it was time to get going. "All right, everyone. We're leaving."

The siblings stopped their activities and gave her their attention. "So soon?" Undine asked. "We're having too much fun."

She nods and says, "I know it seems like we just got here, but we've really been here for hours. It's time to get back on the road."

To avoid causing an argument, they agree to get going. The boys had already called their Pokémon back, so it was time for the siblings to get back into their Pokéballs. They could rest while inside.

As the heroes continued down the path, they took notice of lots of trainers carrying fishing rods with them. They had all come to take part in the annual Seaking catching competition. Once every year, fishers would gather at this lake to take part in this contest. Whoever could catch the heaviest Seaking within the allotted time would be declared the winner and win a trophy and a year's supply of chocolate bars. Competitors could use any kind of rod, bait, and lure, but had to capture a Seaking with a Lake Ball. It sounded fun and the heroes wanted to take part in the competition.

Joey registered and picked Totodile as his partner. Emily joined in too and chose Undine as her partner. Yugi and Kaiba decided to sit this one out. They wouldn't be competing, but they would still get to join their friends on the boat they rented. The good thing about the competition was that two friends were competing, so Emily and Joey had better chances working together.

The key to knowing where the best place to fish was by the direction of the wind. When the wind changed, the heroes decided to head north. All they had to do now was be patient. Emily was the first to feel her fishing line vibrate. The problem was the Millennium Star gave her limitless strength, so she wouldn't know if her catch was heavy or light. Before doing anything, she let the Seaking taste the bait. Suddenly, it started pulling the line with effort. Emily reeled it in and fished out a Seaking. It looked big, so she decided to catch it. First, Undine smacked it with her tail and sprayed water in its face. Emily wasted no time and tossed her Lake Ball. She decided to hold on to this Seaking.

Just then, Joey felt his line being pulled. He kept a tight grip and based on how much his line was being pulled away, this was a big one for sure. When it came to the surface, it definitely looked bigger than the other Seaking. Totodile tried to clinch it in his mouth, but Seaking used his strength to knock him away. Totodile tried again and attacked with Scratch. Seaking tried to use his Horn Attack, but Totodile dodged and used Water Gun. Quickly, Joey tossed his Lake Ball and caught Seaking.

Pleased with their catches, Joey and Emily decided to return to the dock with their prizes. Competitors who couldn't catch a Seaking received a commemorative badge as a consolation prize. Those who did catch a Seaking got their catches weighed. Joey and Emily got the heaviest Seaking out of all the others who were caught. But they both weighed Fifty-five kilos. As per the rules of the competition, the tiebreaker had to be settled with a Pokémon battle and the competitors had to battle with the Pokémon they registered for the competition. Joey and Emily agreed and went to the designated arena.

Undine and Totodile had battled each other many times for sport. But this time, it was a contest. But the outcome wouldn't affect their friendship. Emily and Joey also promised that they would be friends no matter what. Joey knew there wouldn't be much at stake in this battle like there was when he dueled his friends in the tournaments he attended. For that matter, he promised to have fun. Emily was going to have fun too. In petty contests, friends come before victory. And it doesn't really matter who wins because in the end, they get to share the prize.

When both Pokémon jumped into the arena, they started going at it with each other. Totodile tried to scratch Undine with his claws, but Undine blocked his attacks by raising her arms in the air. She also tried to push him away, but the water made both Pokémon too slick to touch. Undine tried to smack Totodile with her tail, but he clamped it in his jaws. Undine cried out in pain and was tossed across the arena. It didn't hurt much before when her tail was furry, but now that it was like a fish's tail, it was sensitive to bites. Thankfully, Totodile's teeth didn't tear through the skin, but she was in pain. Totodile was shocked when he realized what he just did to his friend.

Even Joey agreed it was a little too harsh. "You're taking this too hard, Totodile," he scolded. "I know it's a contest, but we gotta try to have fun and take it easy." Totodile looked down sadly. Joey apologized too. "I want to win this, believe me, but not if it means hurting our friends. It wouldn't be fair. There's a lot of stuff that's more important that winning in contests like these. When nothing is on the line, friendship really is. It's just a game, Totodile."

Undine whimpered as she held her tail. "It hurts," she whined. But she couldn't be mad at Totodile. It was one of his best strengths and he often got carried away with it. Was it because they were in a contest that he was so serious? _I didn't think Totodile felt strongly about this match. And after hearing what Joey told to him, it makes sense. So I can't be mad at him._

Emily approached Undine. "Undine, do you want to stop?"

"No, I can keep fighting," she answered. "It's just my tail. It's okay, the pain's going away."

"You don't have to do this."

"I know I don't have to, but I want to," Undine debated. "It's not about my pride as an older sister or because I want to win. And I'm not angry with Totodile either. I know he's sorry for what he did. I saw it when Joey was reasoning with him. We were both about to forget our friendship. I didn't think this battle would put us in so much hot water," she joked. "I want to go back out there and let Totodile know that he'll always be my friend and I forgive him."

Emily respected Undine's choice and sent her back into the arena. Totodile was ready to get back in the game too. And from here on out, they were going to make it a friendly game. To refresh Undine and make her feel better, Totodile used Water Gun. It was a good thing her special ability was Water Absorb, causing water-type attacks to replenish her strength. And now that she was feeling back to normal, they could resume the match. Undine tried to use her own Water Gun, but Totodile dodged and Head Butted Undine. He also whiplashed her with his tail. Undine was tossed in the air, but she whiplashed Totodile back. They were both panting and about to collapse. They smiled and winked, signaling what a great battle they had. Undine fell flat on her stomach and had enough. Totodile was declared the winner.

As Joey and his partner cheered in triumph, Totodile began glowing. He also became larger and a bit stubbier. He had evolved into Croconaw.

Emily approached Joey and congratulated him. "Way to go, Joey. You won the battle and your Totodile evolved into Croconaw. Your victory was well deserved."

"You mean it, Em?"

"I do. And like we promised, it doesn't affect our friendship. Undine agrees that this doesn't affect her friendship with Croconaw either." It was true. Both Pokémon almost lost sight of what was important, but they didn't. Joey and Emily shake hands and hug each other. Croconaw and Undine hug each other as well.

The truth was Emily and Joey were both winners of the contest because they got to share the prize of chocolate. Yugi and Kaiba would get their share too. They even agreed to save some chocolate for Tristan, Téa, Max, Bakura, Mokuba, Serenity, Duke, Alister, Valon, and Rafael. Of course, until the heroes could get home to their friends, they would have to hold on to everyone else's share.


	21. Never Too Far From Home

Never Too Far From Home

After getting all washed up, Yugi and his friends decided to settle down for lunch. They decided to have something quick and simple. "Chicken sandwich again?" Joey asked Emily. He and Yugi were eating hamburgers.

"Mm-hmm," she replied. She couldn't speak with her mouth full. After swallowing her food, she replied, "I think they're good and tasty."

"Besides, hamburgers aren't all that healthy," Kaiba added. "A lot of people get heart disease by eating them."

Joey shrugged. "Yeah, if you eat them a lot."

"I thought you liked burgers, Emily," Yugi told her.

"I do," she replied. "It's just, after taking a nutrition class in school, I just don't eat them a lot anymore. Besides, I'm on a diet."

"Why?" Joey asked her. "I know you're not that slender, but you're not fat either. And your arms are so thin like your dad's."

Emily began choking on her food. She spat and coughed. Kaiba quickly gave her water to wash it down. She cleared her throat and pleaded, "Joey, I would really appreciate it if you didn't mention him."

Yugi and Kaiba felt the same way. The last time Emily and her friends remembered seeing Robert Briar, a lot of unpleasant things happened. He got aggressive and tried to go to court for custody. After that, he tried to take his own life. He was sent home to recover and let everything else go, including the daughter he disowned. Joey remembered too and he apologized. Everyone agreed not to talk about it anymore and just finish eating lunch.

After eating, Joey went to the lake to wash off. He felt really bad about mentioning Robert to the subject of health. The old man wasn't very healthy in mind or body. And after what happened back home, who knows if there'll be any change in his condition?

Joey rubbed his hands with scented soap. It smelled like honey and vanilla. After rubbing his hands, he rubbed it on his face and cupped his hands and splashed water all over himself. As he cleared his vision, he saw a red shell. Inside was a slimy yellow creature. Joey recognized it was a Pokémon called Shuckle. Shuckle were very shy and preferred to hide from humans. They also had the ability to make juices and store it in their shells. For that matter, they were attracted to any sweet scents. This Shuckle was attracted by the scent of the vanilla and honey in Joey's soap. The Shuckle approached Joey and slithered up his back. It was gross feeling its slimy skin and it felt weird feeling it latch on to his head.

"Come on, Joey," Yugi called, "We're leaving."

"I'm coming," Joey answered. He picked up his backpack and rejoined his friends. "Sorry it took so long."

Emily noticed Shuckle hanging on to Joey and asked, "Um, Joey, do you know there's a Shuckle on your head?"

The blonde lad looked up and Shuckle looked down at him. "Yeah. He's attracted to the scent of the soap in my hair. It's got vanilla and honey."

"That's understandable," said Yugi.

"But it's going to have to come off sooner or later," said Kaiba. "You can't wear it like a hat and you'll need to wash your hair."

Shuckle's eyes widened at the word 'wash'. He was a bug-type, but he was also a rock-type and rock-type Pokémon hate water. The timid Shuckle climbed down Joey's back and crawled away. Joey was sad to see Shuckle go, but he agreed he would have to wash up after being covered in slime. But that wasn't his only concern. He turned to the blonde girl and said, "Hey, Em, I'm really sorry for mentioning Robert. I was just-"

"It's okay, Joey," she told him. "I shouldn't have been so sensitive. It's just upsetting how a friendly conversation can suddenly turn wrong. But it wasn't intentional and I know you weren't trying to hurt me."

Joey tried to smile. "So you're not mad?"

"I was upset, but not anymore. I needed time to think and you apologized. And that's why everything's okay now. When something's wrong, you always try to make it right, Joey, and that makes you a real friend. And like all my friends, I love you and I need you. I can feel alone without you. And it's because of this sensation that I can't bring myself to be mad at my friends no matter what pain I was caused. Sure, there are times when we may fight and argue and say hurtful things, but you and I will always be friends."

Joey's smiled brightened up. He placed his arm over Emily to hug her. "You've got a big heart, Em, and I like that about you."

Kaiba agreed. "I like how you always look at the bigger picture of things and realize what others overlook. You take time to think about things you never thought of before and notice things others don't."

Yugi smiled and held Emily's hand. "You'll always have us and we'll always have you."

The boys were right. They would always have each other and it would stay that way for the rest of their lives. They've been together through thick and thin and nothing was even going to change that.

When everyone got to the Pokémon Center, Emily sat in the guest room surrounded by her Pokémon. Luna rubbed herself against Emily and the blonde girl scratched her ears. "What's wrong, Emily?"

"I guess I just have a lot on my mind," she tells her. "When I said I couldn't bear to be away from the people I love, I started to wonder, do I feel the same way about Robert?"

Shade tilted his head in curiosity. "Robert?"

"My dad who disowned me," she clarified.

Luna was curious. She pulled Emily's dress and wondered, "Emily, what's 'disowned'?"

"What she means is, her dad didn't want her anymore, so he deserted her," Salamando answered.

"That's cruel," said Undine. "It's bad enough that there are trainers who abandon their Pokémon because they don't want them anymore. But it's awful for parents to not want to have anything to do with their children."

Syphid agreed. "Our mom and dad love us more than life itself and that's why they put themselves in harm's way for us."

"And we love them as much and that's why we're going to rescue them," Lumina added. "No matter how long it takes or how far we have to go."

"We can't do it alone," said Sylphid. "We may have grown bigger and stronger, but we have to stay with Emily. She promised to help us. And that's why she understands our problem. She doesn't have her parents and she doesn't want us to end up like her."

Emily nods. "You all deserve to be back with your parents."

"And when we do find our parents, what will we do?" Shade asked. His siblings faced him in confusion. "Do we go back to the wild or do we keep traveling? Don't get me wrong, I want to be back with Mom and Dad, but I want to keep traveling with Emily too. I've had so much fun and I've seen and learned so many new things."

The others agreed. "Maybe it can be both ways," Lumina suggested. "We can stay with our parents and with Emily too. We can build a new home as a family."

"A family," Emily said softly. "That's always something to look forward to."

"And we'll always have each other," said Undine. "We've been together through thick and thin and it's been the same way since we started traveling with you. Because, Emily, you're part of our family too."

Emily appreciated what her Pokémon were telling her. She hugged every one of them in gratitude and they hugged her as well. She also began singing.

 _Sometimes life is hard, you travel roads so far_

 _Away from friends and family, yeah_

 _You've learned to sacrifice, always ready to pay the price_

 _But what you have to understand, even heroes need a helping hand_

Then the boys came by and started singing. _Whatever you want, whatever you need, you know you can always count on me. There'll always be someone waiting, 'cause you're never too far from home_

 _Wherever you go, whatever you do, you know we'll be there to pull you through. There'll always be someone waiting 'cause you're never too far from home._

Yugi began singing again. _We never had a doubt. You always figure out_

 _Which way you're going_

 _Be proud of what you've done and the person you've become_

 _But if you ever feel afraid, we're gonna help you find your way_

Everyone sang, _Whatever you want, whatever you need, all of our love will set you free. There'll always be someone waiting 'cause you're never too far from home._

 _Wherever you go, whatever you do, all of your dreams will soon come true. There'll always be someone waiting 'cause you're never too far from home._


	22. Leaf it to a Friend

Leaf it to a Friend

To get to Ecruteak City, the heroes had to pass over a mountain. It wasn't very rugged and it was filled with plenty of greenery and grass Pokémon. And it looked like Yugi and his friends arrived just in time. There was a tournament coming up for trainers with grass-type Pokémon and the first prize would be a supply of Leaf Stones. It sounded like fun. Yugi decided to enter the tournament. It seemed fitting. He was the only trainer in the group who had a grass-type Pokémon and his friends already had fun in the Seaking catching competition.

After getting registered for the tournament, Yugi was ready to get in the game. It was no surprise that many of the announcers and spectators knew of Yugi's reputation as the King of Games and they couldn't wait to see what he could do in his first Pokémon tournament. In the first match, Yugi was pitting Chikorita against Gloom. Gloom started off by attacking with Petal Dance, but Chikorita roped him up with her Vine Whip and tossed him across the arena. Just like that, the match was over.

Yugi was doing impressive so far. He had been training with Chikorita a lot. As the tournament progressed, they saw lots of different grass Pokémon not just from Johto, but from other regions. There was Victreebell, Parasect, Ivysaur, even Tangela. In Yugi's next match, he was going to be facing Sunflora. Chikorita used Tackle, but Sunflora pushed her away with her leaves. Chikorita attacked with Razor Leaf. Sunflora tried to shield herself, but Chikorita tackled again and beat her opponent.

It took a long time, but Yugi and Chkorita made it to the last round. Their opponent was a young girl from the Sinnoh Region and her partner was a Leafeon. This looked like it was going to be quite a battle. Chikorita tried to distract Leafeon with Sweet Scent, but she didn't find the aroma captivating. She charged with a Quick Attack. Leafeon used Razor Leaf, but Chikorita shielded herself with Vine Whip and began whiplashing Leafeon. Leafeon endured it and used Magical Leaf.

Just when it looked like Chikorita was about to fall in defeat, she suddenly began glowing. As she grew bigger, her neck stretched out and the leaves around her neck and on her head grew as well. She had evolved into Bayleef. The match was far from over. As Leafeon charged in for another Quick Attack, Bayleef shoved her back and used Take Down. Leafeon crashed into a wall, but didn't have the strength to get back up.

Yugi could hardly believe it. He won his first tournament and his first Pokémon evolved. He wasn't sure what to do with his prize of Leaf Stones, but he would be keeping his trophy as a souvenir. Then he decided to share his Leaf Stones with the other competitors. He remembered that some of their Pokémon evolved by means of using a Leaf Stone. The competitors graciously accepted his kind offer and held on to the Leaf Stones they were given. Even the trainer who came in second place was nice enough to accept Yugi's kindness. Pride often gets in the way of grass-type Pokémon and their trainers, but when someone's being a good sport, it's best to swallow pride. And Chikorita evolving to Bayleef was enough of a prize for Yugi.

Yugi and his friends decided to celebrate with a song. Joey was the first to start singing.

 _I wanna be the very best like no one ever was_

 _To catch them is my real test, to train them is my cause_ , Emily sang.

 _My whole life has led to this,_ Yugi was singing, _Time to test my skills_

Kaiba joined in and sang, _I know I just can't miss it, gonna show the world_

 _Born to be a winner,_ Yugi sang.

 _Born to be a champion_ , Emily sang.

 _Born to be a winner_ , Kaiba added.

 _Born to be the very best_ , Joey sang.

Together, they sang, _Born to be a winner! Pokémon!_


	23. A Ghost of a Chance

A Ghost of a Chance

After traveling through mountains and getting into practice with tournaments, Yugi and his friends finally made it to Ecruteak City. "We're finally here," Joey said, sounding relieved. "This took longer than our journey to Goldenrod City."

"Yeah, but it was worth it," said Yugi. "Look over there," he said, pointing to the building in the distance. "That's Tin Tower. It's one of the city's most historical sites and the gym is right next to it."

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" And Emily and her friends began racing to the gym.

As they passed through the city, they noticed that the architecture was pretty old-fashioned. "You'd think they could modernize this place," Kaiba figured.

Yugi looked through the guidebook. "It says Ecruteak City is well known for history and tradition." He was right. Even the clothes the townspeople were wearing were traditional.

The gate to the Ecruteak City gym looked more like a gate to a traditional restaurant or shrine. But it brings up the same adage people forget: 'Don't be fooled by what you see.' But when they passed through the gate, it didn't lead to the gym. It lead to the Burnt Tower. It had been burnt for centuries, but it still stood as a reminder of the city's past.

When the heroes started looking around the Burnt Tower, strange apparitions began attacking them. Suddenly, the Tower began to catch on fire. Yugi and his friends tried to find a way out, but the fire was spreading fast and trapping everyone. Joey called on Croconaw and Poliwag for help. He commanded them to use Water Gun, but nothing was happening. Emily approached the fire with caution. She knew she couldn't unfold her wings or use her magic in this world, but maybe her other powers would still be in effect. There was only one way to know for sure. She stretched her hand towards the fire, but felt no heat. She couldn't even catch it in her hands. Joey reached out too, but felt nothing. The only explanation was that this was an illusion.

Yugi knew what to do. He tossed his Pokéball and called on Hoothoot for help. Hoothoot used Foresight and exposed the ghost Pokémon causing this trouble. It was a horde of Gastly. Emily called on Shade and Lumina for help. Lumina used Confusion and Shade used Faint Attack. Hoothoot helped out by tackling the Gastly. The Gastly disappeared within the walls. When they did, Hoothoot began glowing. He was no longer round and he stood tall with an arch on his head. He evolved into Noctowl.

When everyone was about to cheer in triumph, they saw that the Gastly didn't really leave. They went back for help. Now the heroes had to contend with a horde of Haunter. As if that wasn't bad enough, a Gengar also appeared. It was also wearing a Mega Stone.

"Stop," a voice called. Everyone looked and saw a young man at the stairwell. He had blue clothes and a blue headband over his dark blonde hair and a Keystone over his wrist. "Please understand that these Pokémon are not here to harm you," he pleaded to the heroes. "They're only trying to defend themselves against your intrusion. I know them well."

"Who are you," Kaiba demanded.

The young man descended down the stairs and waved his arm, signaling for the ghost Pokémon to leave. They obey his command and disappear. "My name is Morty," he answered. "I'm the Ecruteak gym leader."

Emily and the boys were amazed to hear that. "Sorry for the fuss," she told Morty. "My friends and I were just looking for you. You see, my name is Emily Briar and I've come here to challenge you to a gym battle."

The expression on Morty's face changed into one of surprise. "You're Emily Briar?" He smiled and said, "I would be honored to battle you, Emily, but this isn't the place to do it. Trainers come here thinking that this is the Ecruteak gym, but it's not."

"Yeah, we kinda figured," said Joey.

"This used to be a place of hope," Morty explained. "Now it's a place of darkness. That's why so many wild ghost Pokémon have come to live here."

Yugi looked and saw a stone carving of a great bird. He and his friends recognized that it was the legendary bird Pokémon Ho-Oh. It was one thing to see it in the card game and on the television show, but to see it in person would be even better. Morty told them it would be impossible because Ho-Oh vanished from the world long ago and haven't been seen for nearly three centuries.

Morty went further into the story and explained that the Burnt Tower was the real Tin Tower in the past and the other one stands as a replica. "This Tower was built to promote understanding between humans and Pokémon and my ancestors protected it for generations. Over the decades, the Tin Tower came to be known as a special place for another reason. It was the only place on Earth where Ho-Oh made contact with humans. Ho-Oh's appearances were a sign of peace, but it would only make itself known to a chosen few. One day, invaders came and sought to use Ho-Oh's power for evil. The battle set fire to the Tin Tower. Ho-Oh fled and hasn't made contact with humans ever since.

"Some wanted to rebuild the Tower, but my ancestors insisted that it be left as a lesson and reminder for future generations. But they decided to build a new Tin Tower with the hope that Ho-Oh might return to a new place of peace. But those hopes have been in vain. For that, many believe that Ho-Oh was a legend that never existed."

It was quite a story, but there have been few who have witnessed Ho-Oh's appearance. Yugi and his friends hoped they would get a chance.

Morty led the heroes out of the Burnt Tower and brought them to the gym. "We could have our gym battle now," Morty suggested.

Emily kindly refused. "Thanks, but I think my Pokémon and I should rest up at the Pokémon Center. But I can come back tomorrow."

Morty accepted her decision. "Great. I'll see you tomorrow, Emily." And he walked inside the gym.

Emily was wise to take this time to plan. Ghost Pokémon are tricky and there's no denying Morty plans to tap into the power of Mega Evolution. The only way to know how Emily would fare against their power and cunning was to train tonight and come back tomorrow. And she already had her team planned out.

Shade was a dark-type Pokémon and ghost-type attacks weren't very effective against him. Plus, Shade was nimble and capable of avoiding most hits. The ghosts were also poison-types and that was where Lumina came in. Her psychic attacks would deal a good amount of damage. And her ability of clairvoyance would help her know when and where her opponents would strike from despite having the ability to disappear. Finally, there was Luna. She was a normal-type Pokémon and normal-type attacks didn't work against ghost Pokémon and vice versa, so it would be evenly matched. With her team arranged, Emily was ready to start training her Pokémon. They ran laps to build up their speed, blocked attacks to increase their defenses, they even battled blind so they could hone their senses. If they couldn't see the ghosts, they could still hear, smell, and feel their presence in the air.

After training, everyone returned to the Pokémon Center for dinner and to rest up. Luna was feeling nervous. "I don't think I can do this."

"Sure you can," Shade told her. "You've got as much strength and spirit as we do."

Luna disagreed. "How? I'm still so little and I haven't even evolved yet."

Shade placed his arm over his sister. "Great Pokémon aren't always fully evolved. Strength isn't based on size."

"Yeah," said Salamando. "Remember the old saying: 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall?'"

Luna laughed. "It's just that when I battle for Emily, I get beat after my first try. After one round, I can't take anymore."

"But you've been training so hard," said Lumina. "So maybe this time, things will be different."

"I sure hope so." Luna curled up into a ball and yawned. "You know, Lumina, sometimes I was I was brave, strong, clever, fast, and beautiful like you guys."

Lumina smiled and kissed her sister. "You are." She positioned herself next to Luna and lied down beside her. "Let's get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."

Shade agreed and kissed his two younger sisters. "Good night, Lumina and Luna."

"Good luck tomorrow," Undine told them.

Morty spent some time training his Pokémon as well. He was also giving some lessons to students training under him. By demonstrating the power of his ghost Pokémon, he taught his students that although they don't have the same physical appearance many other Pokémon do, they can use their spiritual power like a weapon, proving it to be stronger than brute force. It was one of the jobs of being a gym leader to teach trainees who may want to run the gym what they would need to know about Pokémon.

The day was finally here. Morty greeted his guests as they entered the gym. "Hello, Emily. I've been expecting you."

Emily felt a little awkward seeing the students. "I can come back later, Morty."

"That's not necessary. We're finished with our lesson for now." He turns his attention to his students. "Class, this is Emily Briar, one of the champions of Duel Monsters, and she'll be challenging our gym today." He faces Emily and wonders, "I'd like for them to observe our battle, Emily."

"Please, Miss Briar," the students pleaded. Even they were excited to meet the four dueling champions and wanted to watch their teacher face them in a battle.

Emily didn't mind. Perhaps watching the battle would educate the students as well as entertain them.

The referee spoke up and announced, "This is an official Ecruteak City gym match. The challenger is battling for a Fog badge. The gym leader and the challenger will use three Pokémon each and the match will be over when all three Pokémon on either side are unable to continue battling. The challenger will be the first to attack and will also be permitted to substitute Pokémon throughout the match. The gym leader will not be permitted to substitute Pokémon. Let the match begin!"

Morty tossed his Pokéball and called on Gastly. Emily called on Luna. Luna started off with Sand Attack. Gastly evaded it and attacked with Confusion. Luna rolled over and got back on her feet. Knowing she won't be able to see Gastly, she closes her eyes and relies on her ears and nose. Feeling Gastly's presence, she runs up to him and tries to bite him. But Gastly was too fast and dodged her. He fought back using Lick. Its effect wouldn't work on Luna because it was a ghost-type attack, but Luna felt disgusted.

Emily called Luna back and sent Shade into battle. Gastly was elusive, but Shade knew attacks that would hit. When Gastly tried to come in for an attack, Shade stopped him with Faint Attack. And because it was a dark-type attack, it was super effective. Gastly used Night Shade to fight back. Shade shook himself back to his senses and used Assurance, knocking Gastly out and ending the first round.

Morty was impressed with Shade's slick movements and being able to land an attack, but he still had more surprises. He tossed his Pokéball and called on Haunter. Shade tried to attack using Bite, but Haunter quickly evaded it. He was much faster than Gastly. Haunter used Mean Look not to intimidate Shade, but to prevent Emily from substituting him for another Pokémon. Shade was forced to stay in the arena.

Shade managed to land an attack with Faint Attack, but Haunter began using Hypnosis. Shade closed his eyes and tried another Faint Attack. Haunter used his floating hands to grab Shade and began licking him. The effects of Lick stunned Shade, but it also stunned Haunter too because of Shade's special ability Synchronize. Both Pokémon could barely move, but Haunter licked Shade once again.

Shade was in no condition to continue battling, so Emily called him back and sent Lumina to take it from here. With Haunter rendered immobile by having the effects of his own attack used against him, this was an easy win for Lumina. She used Confusion and defeated him.

Morty was ready for this. He tossed his Pokéball and called on Gengar. Rather than tap into the power of Mega Evolution, he decided to take his chances and see how Gengar would fare against Lumina. She tried to attack with Confusion, but Gengar's Shadow Ball created a blast and overwhelmed her. Gengar disappeared and began attacking Lumina mercilessly. Her ability of clairvoyance allowed her to predict where Gengar's attacks were going to strike, but she wasn't getting a chance to land an attack. She tried to attack with Psychic, but ended up getting hit with Night Shade and Shadow Ball.

Lumina was unable to continue battling. Emily had no choice but to rely on Luna now. Morty thought it would be interesting to see how a normal-type would fare against a ghost-type. To make it more interesting, Morty took the fight to the next level and touched his Keystone, enabling Gengar to Mega Evolve. Gengar looked rounder and his limbs grew larger. Luna was intimidated and knew a meek little Pokémon such as herself had no chance against a fully evolved Pokémon; especially a Mega Evolved Pokémon. But her brother and sister and trainer were all counting on her. For as long as Luna could remember, she wanted to grow up to be big and strong like her brothers and sisters. She wanted to prove she wasn't a runt and there was more to her. All she had to do was remember all that her brothers and sisters taught her.

When battling a ghost Pokémon, you have to be prepared for anything and keep it together. It's about grace under pressure. As long as Emily was calm and able to concentrate, Luna would be too. All she had to do was listen, smell, and feel. All of Gengar's attacks were ghost-type attacks and would inflict no harm on Luna, but he would still intimidate her. Luna also knew some attacks outside of her type. If she was going to fight blind, then so must Gengar. She used Sand Attack to irritate his vision. As Gengar rubbed the sand from his eyes, he saw Luna coming. She bit down on his arm and held on. Gengar tried to shake Luna off, but she wouldn't let go. She kept biting down on Gengar. Gengar tried to gather his energy and attack with Shadow Ball even though he knew it would have no effect on Luna. She finally let go and began gathering all of the ominous energy around her, focusing it into her own Shadow Ball attack and landing a direct hit on Gengar. The effects of Mega Evolution wore off and the match was over.

Luna could hardly believe what happened. She won her first match, and against a fully evolved Pokémon, no less. She jumped and squealed triumphantly and leaped into Emily's arms. "You did it, Luna! You really did it," Emily cheered. "I knew you could do it!"

The rest of the family cheered and congratulated their youngest sister. "Oh, Luna, you were so brave," Lumina said proudly.

"You're sure not a runt anymore," said Salamando.

"Thanks, you guys," Luna said appreciatively. "I didn't think I could do it because I wasn't an evolved Pokémon like the rest of you, but I was wrong."

Lumina shook her head. "No, Luna. You're perfect just the way you are." And she hugged her little sister.

Luna hugged her back. "I wish Mommy and Daddy could have seen me."

"They would have been very proud of you," said Shade. "They'd be proud of all of us for what we've accomplished and what we've become."

"I can't wait to find Mom and Dad," said Sylphid, "and tell them everything that's happened." The rest of the siblings agreed. They gathered around Luna and tossed her in the air and cheered her name.

Morty praised his Pokémon for putting up a great fight, but he had to admit Emily and her Pokémon put up a better one. He approached Emily and congratulated her. "I have a lot of faith in you and your friends, Emily. And I hope that someday, you'll get to see Ho-Oh with your own eyes. With the four of you, anything's possible."

"Yeah, anything could happen," said Emily.

He nods and presents her with the Fog badge. "This is what you came here for. The Fog badge is yours. You earned it."

Emily takes it with great appreciation. "Thank you, Morty. We've waited a long time for this one." She raises the badge and cheers triumphantly.


	24. The Light Fantastic

The Light Fantastic

When the heroes left the city, they came to a fork in the road. One path lead to Olivine City and another path led to Mahogany Town. They both had gyms there, but Olivine City seemed to be the closest and it was at the beach. It sounded relaxing. The heroes had already walked through mountains, forests, valleys, and lakes. It would be nice to travel through a different landmark.

It was almost hard to believe that the journey was halfway over. Well, if only that were the case. Emily was halfway there in qualifying for the Johto league, but the mission prior was finding the Cobalt Star shard in this world. Only then would the journey be over. But they had come so far. For now, all they could do was battle trainers and catch Pokémon.

The heroes found themselves traveling through a dry landscape. There was no water in the river and their flasks were empty. Everyone was hot and dehydrated from the heat. Suddenly, they saw colorful lights in the distance. It looked like an aurora, but it was impossible because they were thousands of miles away from the arctic. Suddenly, the lights were gone.

Yugi and his friends were curious about the lights, but that wasn't their biggest concern. They needed to get out of the heat and refresh themselves. Luckily, there was a Pokémon Center nearby. To get there, they had to pass through the remains of an old village. Yugi looked though the guidebook and read that it was the home of a lost civilization known as the ancient colossal tree tribe. The people would cut trees and use the wood to build gigantic buildings. It was plain to see that there wasn't much greenery in these parts because of the tree tribe cutting trees.

The colossal tree tribe were also known as Remoraidians for their connection with the water-type Pokémon Remoriad. Centuries ago, the landmark where everyone stood was filled with forests and lush plants until everything was destroyed by the Remoraidians. Their need for fuel and timber destroyed the forest and before long, the river dried up. Without water, they couldn't grow crops or new trees. So the Remoraidians were forced to leave their city and move on.

It was a nice history lesson, but it was also sad. But there was some good news. Once every few years, the river fills up with water again and flows like it did in the past. What Yugi and the others really wanted to know was the mystery of the lights they saw earlier. Nurse Joy said that the lights always appeared above Remoraid Lake.

After feeling rehydrated and refreshed, the group decided to head out to the Lake. On the way, the ground was starting to look less like brown earth and more filled with green grass and flowers. By the time they got to the lake, the sun was down and it was nightfall. Not to mention it was cold. And the reason behind the cold was that there was a tower of ice in the middle of the Lake. It stood tall like a five story building. There wasn't even any water in the lake. Kaiba was beginning to think coming here wasn't worthwhile, but his friends begged him to stick around.

And it was worthwhile after all. When the sun rose in the sky, Remoraid Lake began to fill with water and Remoraid came to the surface as well. They started using Water Gun and Ice Beam to change the structure of their ice tower and make it bigger. More than that, the lake continued to fill with water. The heat of the sun caused the ice to melt, but its light also reflected off the ice and created the colorful lights everyone saw yesterday. The water vapor was reflecting the rays of the sun. More than that, the lakes and rivers would fill with water and flow again and it was reviving the greenery in the mountain.

Yugi and his friends agreed that the Pokémon world was filled with wonder and miracles like their own world and Pokémon were mysterious creatures. But that was what made Pokémon and their world so wonderful.


	25. Freeze Frame

Freeze Frame

Continuing their journey to Olivine City, the heroes have started passing through more mountains. But the day wasn't looking too bright.

"The sky looks pretty dark," said Emily.

"It's getting cold too," Kaiba added. "Looks like it might rain."

"We're going to need some kind of shelter," said Yugi. He looked around, but there weren't any caves they could hide in. Even if they were, wild Pokémon would probably be hiding in them. Just then, Yugi thought he saw a blue figure in the distance. "No way! Was that-?"

"Hmm?" Emily asked. "Did you see something, Yugi?"

"Yeah, for a minute, I thought I saw Articuno fly by."

His friends follow his gaze, but don't see anything. "There's nothing there," said Kaiba. "Are you sure you didn't just imagine it?"

"I believe you, Yuge," said Joey. "This mountain area is pretty cold, so maybe you did see Articuno. It could also explain why this place is so cold."

"It was heading that way," Yugi said, pointing to the mountain that looked like a volcano. He wanted to check it out and see if Articuno was roosting there. Kaiba decided that they could do that later. For now, they had to find a Pokémon Center and get to safety. Thankfully, they found one at the nearby slope.

After spending hours at the Pokémon Center, the weather finally started looking better. Now they could continue their journey and search for Articuno. It was pretty cold, so the mountain Pokémon wouldn't give the heroes any trouble. Not to mention ice and snow are frozen water and rock-type Pokémon hate water.

Although Yugi and his friends managed to make it to Snowtop Mountain, climbing it would be a difficult task. The whole area was covered with snow and ice. At least there was a Pokémon Center near the base of the mountain. They could warm up and borrow some equipment. And right next to the Pokémon Center was a statue of Articuno. It was believed that Articuno appeared to travelers who were lost and trapped by the forces of snowy weather and would bring them to safety. People also believe that Articuno build their nests and raise their young in the highest mountains of the coldest regions and they travel around the world bringing the coming of winter. So Nurse Joy wasn't surprised that Yugi and his friends came to look for Articuno in Snowtop Mountain.

It was a dangerous journey, but Yugi was determined to seek out Articuno. Emily and the others knew he would be in danger on his own, so they changed into the appropriate attire for the weather. When they got to the base of Snowtop Mountain, a blizzard started to pick up. In the snowy wind, Yugi saw the same blue image from earlier. When the blizzard let up, his vision became clear and the figure was revealed to be the great bird of ice: Articuno.

Yugi was awestruck. "It really _is_ Articuno!"

"It's so beautiful," said Emily.

Kaiba grinned and told Yugi, "Sorry I doubted you, Yugi."

Yugi forgave his friend. He tried to approach Articuno, but the majestic ice phoenix screeched to ward him away. Yugi looked down and saw that there was no more ground and he almost fell off a cliff. Articuno spoke, but only Emily could understand her. "You have sought me out like many other travelers. Every time a storm comes in, some unfortunate fool gets trapped. But rescuing them is not something I am not used to."

Emily moved closer and was standing next to Articuno. "We mean no harm, Articuno. Trust me when I say seeing you is enough satisfaction for me and my friends."

Articuno was intrigued to hear that this human girl responded and was speaking to her. "Strange. You understand my words as though I am speaking in your tongue. Then again, maybe it is not so strange after all. I have heard of a group of four young warriors chosen by the Great Goddess herself and one of them has the talent of talking to monsters and animals."

"Yes," said Emily. "My friends and I are descendants of the Children of Millennia. The great pharaoh and his wife were my mother and father."

"Can it be true?" Articuno wondered. She got down and carefully observed the heroes. "It is. You are the chosen warriors of Millennia. What an honor this is."

"It's an honor for us to meet you as well," said Emily.

"Stories of the battles that occurred in the age of the Shadow Games are not unknown to us legendary Pokémon. They have been passed down to us for generations. And now that you are here, many more of my friends will know of your arrival. But why have you come?"

"My friends and I have been sent here by the Great Goddess herself," Emily answered. "We're on a mission to find and gather the shards of the Cobalt Star and one of them may be hidden somewhere in the Johto Region."

Articuno softly cooed. "Yes, many of us have felt an ominous force and believed it to be the presence of the Dark Lord. But I am afraid the whereabouts of the Cobalt Star shard you seek are unknown even to me. But there may be a Pokémon who would know. Who, I cannot know for sure. But I can assume that when the time is right, it will make itself known to you."

"Thank you, Articuno," Emily whispered. She raised her hand and gently petted Articuno. Articuno even allowed Yugi to pet her as well. After witnessing Yugi's courage and determination, she could certainly see that he had the spirit of an ice phoenix; brave, graceful, and calm and collected. Articuno flew to the top of Snowtop Mountain, honored to have met the Heroes of Millennia.

"You never cease to amaze me," Yugi told Emily. "You and Articuno understood each other and were talking to each other. What did it tell you?"

Emily looked up and answered, "Articuno knew of the legend of our ancestors and was honored to have met us. She also said that a Pokémon might have knowledge of the Cobalt Star shard we're looking for, but she didn't know which one. We're just going to have to press on. Hopefully when we do, the Pokémon will make itself known to us and we'll find the Cobalt Star shard."

Joey and Kaiba looked up as they watched Articuno fly higher above them. "I guess we'll have to wait and see," said Joey. "Well, like they always say: 'All good things come to those who wait.'"

"After all we've been through, it's actually true," said Kaiba.


	26. Sick and Tired

Sick and Tired

It felt good to finally be off the mountain and traveling through the plains again. The heroes were feeling sick because of the altitude and the weather. They found an abandoned cabin and rested there for a few days to get their strength back and feel better.

Joey finished making breakfast for the group. Kaiba looked at his meal in disappointment. "Wheeler, I thought you were going to fix me a bowl of healthy bran."

"Ran out," Joey explained. "So I thought I'd make it up to you with some hearty oatmeal."

"Looks more like gruel to me," Kaiba complained, mixing it around.

"Well, at least the pancakes look delicious," said Yugi. He sampled a taste and figured he was right. They were plain buttermilk pancakes, but there were small bowls filled with apples, strawberries, walnuts, blueberries, chocolate chips, and slices of bananas to add flavor. Kaiba pushed his bowl aside and filled a plate with pancakes and fruit. Joey didn't appreciate his efforts being wasted away for nothing. What he didn't appreciate more was receiving no appreciation at all.

Emily looked down and stared at her plate of pancakes. She had been feeling more out of it than her friends and didn't have the strength to eat. But she was able to drink fluids. She poured a glass of milk and drank it down.

Yugi noticed that Emily's condition hadn't changed. "I guess you're still not hungry, are you?"

Emily shook her head. "I just can't fathom it, Yugi. I know I need to eat, but my stomach just does't feel empty and I can't chew. But I can still drink fluids."

"Are you always more thirsty than hungry when you're feeling sick?" Kaiba asked.

"All the time," Emily answered. "You know, in nutrition class, I read in the textbook that a human can survive weeks without food, but can't go for long periods without water or fluids."

Kaiba didn't want to hear anymore. Sometimes the books aren't always right. On certain occasions, experience is better. He got up and walked Emily back to the cabin. After getting her to lie down, he placed his hand on her forehead. "You've had this fever since yesterday." Kaiba reached into his first-aid kit and took out a thermometer to take her temperature. Yesterday, Emily had a fever of 101. Today, it was down to 100. "Your fever hasn't gone down by much. We'll stay here for one more day."

"Okay," Emily gurgled.

Kaiba took out a bottle filled with tablets of aspirin. He placed two tablets next to a glass of water. "Take these tablets. They'll bring down the fever. Wait a few hours before taking more. Call me if you need anything."

"Thank you, Kaiba," Emily said weakly. She relaxed herself and closed her eyes.

The brunette stepped outside and told Yugi and Joey of Emily's condition. "Her fever hasn't gone down much. We'll stay here for one more day if we have to."

Yugi couldn't help but feel worried about Emily. "If her fever's going down, she must be getting better by a little bit. I don't want to push her, though. Her health is my biggest concern. We'll stay here until she recovers."

Joey was in agreement. "If any one of us were in her place, Emily would do the same for us." So it was decided that the group would stay for their friend's sake.

Even the Pokémon were worried about their trainer. Undine kept cooling Emily down with a cold, wet cloth. Salamando used his body heat to keep her warm. Lumina used her psychic powers to help her relax and sleep. Luna cuddled up next to Emily to comfort her. "Mmm, so soft," Emily whispered. "It's like Avalon is right here with me."

After getting their chores done, the boys decided to have a few battles. They distanced themselves from the cabin so the commotion of the battles wouldn't disturb their sick friend. Joey had more Pokémon than Yugi and Kaiba, but he was willing to face them both and divide his team. After all, Joey had five Pokémon and Yugi had two and Kaiba had three, so it would be fair game for all of them.

The first match would be the blonde against the brunette. For Joey's first Pokémon, he called on Poliwag. Kaiba called on Quilava. It was true that water-type attacks were strong against fire-type Pokémon, but Quilava was fast and capable of dodging his enemy's attacks. Poliwag launched his Water Gun and Bubble attacks, but none of them could land on Quilava. He dodged by using Flame Wheel and knocking Poliwag over. Just when it looked like Poliwag was about to lose, he began glowing. He grew bigger and arms grew from his body. He evolved into Poliwhirl.

Evolution is a great achievement, but it doesn't always mean that the battle's won. Poliwhirl was faster and gained a new attack called Double Slap. He managed to smack Quilava around. Even his Bubble attack became Bubblebeam. Quilava tried to dodge, but the bubbles stopped the flames, slowing him down. Poliwhirl used Bubblebeam again, but Quilava countered with Swift. He got his flame going again and used Flame Wheel to knock Poliwhirl out.

Joey wasn't disappointed. He lost that round, but his Pokémon evolved. For his next Pokémon, he chose Wooper. Kaiba chose Houndour. Kaiba remembered that Wooper are slick and capable of dodging attacks, so he was going to have to be careful. Houndour started by attacking with Flamethrower and Wooper countered with Water Gun. Houndour stopped his attack and used Smog to conceal himself. Wooper was confused and couldn't see through the smoke. Finally, Houndour came out and tackled Wooper, but the little mudfish slipped away and smacked Houndour with his tail. Houndour grabbed his tail with his teeth and slammed him against the ground.

After beating Wooper, Houndour began glowing. He became a fully grown dog with horns on his head and a greater skeletal armor and a longer tail with an arrowhead at the tip. He was now a Houndoom. Kaiba was thrilled that he won another round and his own Pokémon evolved. He and Joey had one last round. The blonde called on Croconaw and Kaiba called on Onix. Onix tried to trip Croconaw with his rocky tail, but Croconaw jumped away. He launched his Water Gun and soaked Onix. The rock snaked cried out in pain, but ended up hitting Croconaw with his tail. Croconaw was still able to battle, but Onix wasn't. It was a good battle between the blonde and the brunette. Now it was Yugi's turn to battle.

Yugi chose Noctowl as his first Pokémon. Joey decided to battle with his Mareep. Noctowl used Hypnosis to distract Mareep and cause her mind to play tricks on her. He used Confusion to not only attack her, but cause her to be confused as well. Noctowl tried to attack Mareep with Wing Attack, but her special ability Static paralyzed him. Mareep shook off her confusion and attacked with Thunder Shock. After Noctowl was defeated, Mareep began glowing. When the light stopped, everyone saw that she was standing on her hind legs, her skin was pink, her fleece turned white, and the orb at the tip of her tail changed from yellow to blue. She evolved into Flaaffy.

Joey could hardly believe it. Two of his Pokémon evolved in one day. He was feeling victorious. But the battle wasn't over yet. He and Yugi both had one Pokémon left. Joey called on Girafarig and Yugi called on Bayleef. They both charged and used Take Down against each other. Girafarig tried to attack with Stomp, but Bayleef dodged and tripped him up with her Vine Whip. She attacked with Razor Leaf and defeated Girafarig. The match between Yugi and Joey resulted in a draw, but they both enjoyed it.

They boys returned to the cabin and say Emily in the lake. It was a good thing she was wearing her swimsuit because they were about to worry that she was taking a bath. She saw her friends coming back, so she got out of the lake and dried off. "Hey, guys," she said, sounding stronger. "You're back. Where'd you go?"

"We had a few Pokémon battles," Joey answered. "We distanced ourselves so you could rest."

Kaiba approached Emily and felt her forehead. "You're not so warm anymore."

"No, that aspirin really worked and I managed to rest well," said Emily.

The boys were glad to hear it. "Do you have an appetite again?"

"Not yet," Emily answered. "But I'm feeling active again with the need to move around." She went inside the cabin and changed clothes. She was back in her dress, sandals, hat, and gloves. "What do you say, guys," Emily says, picking up her purse, "ready to get back on the road?"

Yugi was still concerned. "Are you sure you're strong enough to move?"

Emily was sure. The water in the lake cooled her down and eased her nerves. "I'm feeling much better. But we don't have to leave right now if you don't want to. We can stay a little while longer."

"I don't mind," said Joey. "Those battles did take it out on me and I'm working up an appetite. Aren't you guys too?"

Yugi and Kaiba agreed. Joey decided to start making nice, hot soup for lunch with buttered bread on the side. Emily decided to have a little bit to get her strength back. The carrots, celery, and potatoes would be easy to chew and swallow and drinking the broth would warm her up and hydrate her.


	27. Mega Mystery

Mega Mystery

For all the time spent in the world of Pokémon, Yugi and his friends lost track of the time they spent on their travels. They couldn't remember what day it was when they left home and therefore, they didn't know what day it was now.

"How long have we been traveling, guys?" Joey asked his friends.

Emily looked back and asked, "You mean since we left Ecruteak City? I'd say about three weeks now."

"We have made a lot of stops meeting interesting Pokémon and battling trainers and stopping through small towns," said Yugi.

"But if you're talking about how long we've been traveling since we got here," Kaiba was saying, "If you ask me, I feel like we've been here for months."

"Four months, to be precise," said Emily, counting the times she saw the full moon in the sky. It was the only time Emily could invoke the true power of the Millennium Star. Actually, it was the only power she could still use. It was a required ritual she could not postpone. As guardian of the Millennium Star, Emily had to invoke its true power on schedule. She had to bathe in the light of the full moon and release the Millennium Star to allow it to grant one wish. After granting one wish, it remains in the sky for the rest on the night as a free star to regain strength. And when the night would be through, the Millennium Star would return to Emily's heart.

Emily knew that releasing the Millennium Star would expose the presence of the Great Goddess, but perhaps doing so would help detect the Cobalt Star shard they were looking for. And considering the fact that all Pokémon have a sixth sense that allows them to sense the supernatural, perhaps the Pokémon holding the Cobalt Star shard would draw its attention to the presence of the Millennium Star. But only time would tell.

Joey broke the silence and said, "I've also been thinking, Emily, you mentioned Articuno said to you that the Cobalt Star shard could be guarded by a Pokémon."

"Yes, but she didn't say what kind," said Emily. "I thought that by exposing the Millennium Star and releasing its power, it would be easily detected by the Cobalt Star shard and the Pokémon holding it would make itself know to us."

"It's a good idea, I guess," said Yugi. "But I guess for now, we're just going to have to be patient and keep traveling."

"How much further to Olivine City," Joey asked impatiently.

Kaiba looked through the map. "We should get there just by crossing this desert."

"But how long is that going to take," Joey whined.

"I don't know," Kaiba answered, sounding irritated. "It could be a few miles, it could be a few days, let's just go." And he began walking through the sand. He really wanted to get to Olivine City as much as his friends did and he didn't want it to have to take any longer either. The journey was long, but everyone agreed to keep going without complaining.

It actually wasn't a very big desert. The heroes crossed through without any trouble. The wild Pokémon didn't give them any trouble and the heat of the sun didn't bother them either. After several hours of walking, at last, the heroes had finally arrived in Olivine City. It seemed like a long and hard journey like getting to Goldenrod City and Ecruteak City, but it was worth it. Now they were standing in front of the Olivine gym.

The doors to the gym quickly opened. "Welcome, trainer," a voice called from the inside. "You may now enter the gym. Walk straight ahead and you'll enter the battlefield." Emily does as told with her friends following her.

The lights came on as the group came to the arena. "Which one of you dares to challenge me to a battle?"

"I do," Emily said and took her place at the arena. Passing through the doors on the other side was a young girl with dark green hair and a bright yellow dress with orange rings. She introduced herself as the Olivine gym leader, but wouldn't give her name. But she declared that the battle would be a three-on-three match.

The young girl tossed her Pokéball and called on Steelix, an iron snake. It was a steel-type, but it was also a ground-type, so Emily called on Undine. Steelix was about to tackle Undine, but she launched her Water Gun attack. But Steelix didn't feel any pain. Kaiba wondered if it had to do with the light reflecting from its body so brightly. Steelix endured the water and knocked Undine out.

Emily called her back and sent Salamando to take her place, but before she could attack, another voice cried out, "Stop the match right now!" Everyone stopped and turned their attention to an older girl with beige hair and a white dress and a Keystone in place of one of her hair barrettes. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but this match is illegitimate. A gym battle must be fought with the leader of the gym. Your opponent is not the gym leader," she said to Emily. "My name is Jasmine. I'm the gym leader. This young girl is my apprentice, Janina."

Everyone was surprised to hear that. Janina tries to sneak away, but Jasmine stops her and asks her to follow her. Janina withdraws her Steelix and follows her teacher. As Emily watched Janina follow Jasmine, she was curious about why Undine's attack wasn't effective against Steelix. It turned out that Janina had coated Steelix with water repellant wax, making it resistant to water-type attacks. Jasmine had scolded Janina about this method many times before when Steelix was still an Onix. It wasn't fair to challengers and it wasn't good for her Pokémon. Although Janina had been told so many times before, she still hadn't stopped. Jasmine sent Janina away from the gym to clean the wax off of Steelix.

Jasmine returned to the arena and apologized to Emily on behalf of her apprentice. "I'd be honored to have a battle with you, but I have to do something first. You see, I'm on a bit of an errand and I asked Janina to take care of things for me while I was gone."

"What kind of errand," Emily asked. "Maybe we can help."

"I'm looking for a Mega Stone that will allow my Sparkle to Mega Evolve," Jasmine answered. Before she can explain who Sparkle is, she gets a phone call. "I have to go. Please excuse me."

"Sure thing," said Emily. "By the way, I love your dress."

"Thank you," Jasmine said and left the gym.

Emily and the boys left the gym and decided to get some lunch. "I wonder what kind of Pokémon Sparkle is," Emily wondered. "Maybe if we find out, we can help Jasmine find the Mega Stone she's looking for and then we can have our gym battle."

"Speaking of Mega Stones, we found some throughout our journey," Kaiba told her. He reached into Emily's bag and took out some of the Mega Stones she had been holding on to. "It be nice if we knew what kinds of Stones they were and which Pokémon would use them to Mega Evolve. Maybe one of these could be the Mega Stones she's looking for."

"I'd also like to discuss the merits of Mega Evolution with an expert or someone who knows a lot about it," said Joey. "A lot of the gym leaders we met were able to tap into its power."

"Well, from what we know so far, a Pokémon has to hold the Mega Stone," Yugi was saying. "A trainer also has to have a Keystone to invoke the power of Mega Evolution. But it will only work if the hearts of the Pokémon and its trainer are truly connected."

"I noticed Jasmine had a Keystone," said Emily. "Let's find her and show her the Mega Stones we've collected. Maybe she'll also tell us which Mega Stones we have."

"Good idea," said Yugi.

After lunch, the group headed out to find Jasmine. While looking for her, they saw Janina in the park cleaning the wax off of her Steelix. They weren't pleased to hear about Janina's trick and told her that she wasn't providing her Pokémon good treatment for it. They reminded Janina that a Pokémon should use its natural strengths to learn to be adaptable in any situation. Janina knew and apologized once again. She had been training under Jasmine for a long time and wanted to be like her. Janina wanted to make Jasmine proud and one day earn her own Keystone so her Steelix could Mega Evolve. When Yugi and his friends asked Janina if she had any idea on where Jasmine could be, she answered that she usually goes to the lighthouse to take care of Sparkle. The heroes headed there right away.

There were two lighthouses on the pier. The smallest one was known as the Shining Lighthouse and it was a part of the city's history like how the Burnt Tower and the Tin Tower were to Ecruteak City. They climbed to the top of the Shining Lighthouse and saw a yellow Pokémon with a red orb on its tail. It was an Ampharos. The Ampharos lived in the Lighthouse and served as a beacon to those who were lost at sea. The light emitted from its tail could be seen from faraway distances.

Jasmine was sitting next to Ampharos while she was making a collar. She noticed the heroes and welcomed them. Her grandfather Myron was helping her. "Hello again."

"Hello, Jasmine," said Emily. "Does this Ampharos belong to you?"

"Yes, this is my little Sparkle," she answered. "I think you already know this, but the light released from the tail of an Ampharos can be seen from miles away. That's why Sparkle lives here. But her light isn't strong enough to be seen through the thickest fogs. But my grandfather told me that if Sparkle could Mega Evolve, she could release a light bright enough to be seen in any storm and guide lost travelers to our city."

"That's why you've been looking for a Mega Stone," said Yugi. "We found some during our travels." He and his friends hold out their hands and show her the Mega Stones they've collected.

Unfortunately, neither of them was what she was looking for. "I'm looking for Ampharosite. The Mega Stones you have are for Pokémon like Houndoom, Steelix, Alakazam, Scizor, Gengar, Heracross, Pinsir, and Gyarados."

The heroes were disappointed that neither of them had the Mega Stone she was looking for. But at least they knew what Mega Stones they had. Kaiba took the Houndoominite and Steelixite and placed them in his bag.

Jasmine appreciated everyone's help, but her grandfather told her that he heard that some trainers have found Ampharosite at Cianwood City. There was also a gym there. Joey wanted to check it out and find the same Mega Stone because it turned out that Ampharos was the evolved form of Flaaffy. The heroes decided to go to Cianwood City to challenge the gym leader and find the Mega Stone Jasmine had been looking for. Janina decided to go along with them to make up for her trouble. They had to hurry because the ferry was leaving tonight.


	28. Hocus Pocus Focus

Hocus Pocus Focus

The next morning, the team finally arrived in Cianwood City. The locals said that travelers have found Ampharosite at the nearby caves on the beach. The tides were low at this time, so there was no need for anyone to worry about getting trapped. They searched for hours and found what they believed to be the Mega Stones they were looking for. Joey took one and Janina took another. The only way to know for sure if it was Ampharosite was to take it back to Jasmine. Janina quickly boarded the express ferry back to Olivine City.

With that setback being taken care of, it was time to find the Cianwood gym. But as they were about to leave the beach, the group saw a man practicing fighting with his Machoke. He was wearing white pants with a black sash over his waist and he had dark brown hair and a dark brown mustache. It was an impressive display of offense and defense, but what really shocked the heroes was that the man allowed Machoke to use Submission on him. Machoke held on to him as he somersaulted on the sand and he lifted him and tossed him several feet away. But the man wasn't hurt. In fact, he was proud of his Pokémon for his strength and focus.

"You there, young lady in white," he called to Emily. "What's your name, my pretty?"

"I'm Emily Briar," she introduced herself.

"Emily Briar, as in one of the champions of Duel Monsters?" he asked in astonishment.

"The same," she replied.

The man and his Machoke bowed in respect. "It's an honor to meet you. What brings you to town?"

"I've come for a gym battle."

"Well, why didn't you say so?" He asked in delight. "Come on, let's get marching!" And he began leading Emily and her friends to the gym by jogging. She wasn't exactly dressed for the sport, but she removed her sandals and lifted her dress so she could run.

Machoke was the first to arrive at the front door with the heroes following from behind and his trainer behind them. He caught up and asked, "What's the matter? You outta shape?"

"Speak for yourself," said Joey. "But how far do we have to go?"

"We're here," the man answered, out of breath.

Suddenly, young children and their fighting-type Pokémon came outside and greeted their teacher. "Welcome back, Master."

"Master," Emily repeated in question. "Then you must be-"

"The Cianwood gym leader," he finished for her. "I'm the meanest, leanest, roughest, toughest, strongest fighting-type Pokémon master in all the land. But you can call me Chuck." He invited everyone inside for lunch. He believed that plates full of big servings would make consumers strong fighting machines. "Eat up," he insisted to his students and guests. "You need lots of nourishment to keep your energy up."

"That's something I can agree with," Joey said as he was eating.

A woman with reddish brown hair came with some vegetables. "So you're here for a Storm badge," she asked Emily. "Well, then a beautiful and fit young lady like you should have no trouble beating that flabby husband of mine," she joked.

Chuck didn't like being teased about his weight, but he put up with it because he loved his wife. When he finished eating, he turned to Emily and asked her, "What do you say, Emily? Are you ready to have that battle?"

"I sure am," she answered.

They took their places at the arena in the next room. The referee spoke up and announced, "This is an official gym battle for a Storm badge between Chuck the gym leader and Emily Briar the challenger. You may each use two Pokémon. Are you ready?"

Chuck was ready. He chose Poliwrath as his first Pokémon. Emily chose Sylphid as her first Pokémon. Sylphid tried to attack with Thunder Shock, but Poliwrath dodged it. He decided to send electricity flying by means of Discharge, but Poliwrath was slick and managed to dodge all the attacks. Finally, he got shocked and the attack even paralyzed him. Sylphid tried to attack with Double Kick, but Poliwrath pulled himself together and used his strength to defend himself and push Sylphid away. Poliwrath began attacking Sylphid with Doubleslap. Poliwrath was so focused, making it impossible for the paralysis to kick in. Sylphid tried to get up, but couldn't. He was fast and nimble, but not strong enough to endure such great physical attacks.

Emily had to choose one Pokémon and make it count. But she knew which one to choose. She tossed her Pokéball and called on Lumina. It was a good choice. Poliwrath was a fighting-type as well as a water-type, so Lumina's psychic attacks would be effective against him. Emily was under a lot of pressure, but she had to keep it together and stay focused so Lumina would be able to as well.

Chuck could see it in Emily's eyes. If she had been scared, she would have made a choice out of desperation. But he could see that she was focused and trying to stay that way. Poliwrath tried to attack with his Water Gun, but Lumina saw it coming and dodged it. Poliwrath was still paralyzed, so his moves would be sluggish. Lumina attacked with her Swift, then used Confusion to lift Poliwrath in the air and toss him to the ground. Poliwrath tried to pull himself together and focus, but he became confused. Lumina finished him off with her Psychic attack and won.

It was only so easy because Sylphid had worn Poliwrath out, so Lumina had to remember to thank her big brother after this. But Machoke was going to be a really tough opponent. But before sending Machoke to the arena, Chuck decided to get him warmed up by having him practice his attacks on his own trainer. Emily got the same idea on getting herself and Lumina focused in the same way. Lumina used her psychic powers on her trainer to increase her concentration and keep it together.

After getting psyched up, Lumina and Machoke were ready to go at it with each other. Machoke tried to land attacks on Lumina, but her ability of clairvoyance allowed her to dodge them with ease. She was so focused, she could see the attacks coming before they were coming. Machoke tried to attack with Cross Chop, but Lumina stopped him with her Confusion. Machoke was trying to resist and Lumina was straining herself as she was trying to keep a grip, but neither of them wanted to lose their focus.

Machoke struggled, but he managed to approach Lumina. He grabbed her and somersaulted across the arena as he was using Submission on her. He lifted her and tossed her to the other side, but Emily encouraged Lumina to open her eyes and watch where she was going. Doing so allowed Lumina to recover her coordination and use her acrobatic skills to land on her feet with ease. After a graceful landing, she used Psychic to attack Machoke. Machoke was feeling worn out and having a hard time maintaining his focus because of Lumina's psychic powers. To finish him off, Lumina used Swift and launched stars at him. Machoke fell in defeat.

In battles like these, it goes to show that brains will always overpower brawn and mental might is greater than physical might. That's why people often follow the adage 'mind over matter.' But Lumina had to admit she was feeling pretty strained after focusing so much. But she kept her concentration throughout the match. Lumina leaves the arena and approaches Sylphid and they begin hugging each other. Emily lifted Lumina and gently hugged her as well.

Chuck felt no disappointment in his Pokémon. He felt pride and joy for them because they battled well together and his Pokémon did what their trainer told them to do throughout the match. And that was what made him a good sport. He seemed hard on the outside, but he was soft on the inside. "Emily," he said as he approached her. "You fought a great head-to-head battle out there. I haven't had one like that in a long time. It's no disgrace to lose to a trainer like you," he said proudly.

"Thanks, Chuck," Emily said with great appreciation.

"I enjoyed seeing you and Lumina work together. She really knew your strategy. In the end, working closely together with your Pokémon is the only strategy you need. I hope you can work that closely with all of your Pokémon. If you do, I don't think you'll have anything to worry about when you get to the Johto league." Chuck holds out his hand and presents Emily with the Storm badge. She takes it and cheers in triumph. Sylphid and Lumina laugh and cheer with her.

At night, Emily called Janina and asked her if there was any news concerning the Mega Stones they found. It turned out that Jasmine's grandfather was right and it really was Ampharosite. Jasmine tapped into its power and Sparkle was able to Mega Evolve. But although Jasmine promised Emily a battle, she still wasn't quite ready yet. But it was all right. Emily didn't mind waiting a little while longer.

Chuck overheard the situation and got an idea. "Sorry to hear that your match with Jasmine has been delayed, Emily, but I got an idea on what you and your friends can do to pass the time. You guys should check out the Whirl Islands," he suggested.

It sounded like a good idea. The Whirl Islands were right between Cianwood City and Olivine City. "I think you'll find it in your best interest to go," continued Chuck. "You may find some mysterious Pokémon there."

Chuck's wife presented the heroes with a pass that would serve as payment for their passage on the ferry. "Consider it a gift from us for a great battle," she insisted.

"Lots of luck on the Whirl Islands, Emily," said Chuck. "Remember to train hard, eat well, and keep your eyes on the prize. And remember, it's all about the focus."

"You said it, Chuck," said Emily.


	29. Reuniting With an Old Friend

Reuniting With an Old Friend

The next morning, Yugi and his friends boarded the ferry to the Whirl Islands. "I bet we're going to see lots of amazing Pokémon," said Joey. He saw Emily standing near the ledge as she stared at the ocean. "Hey, Em, you okay?"

"I just remembered something," she was saying. "The Whirl Islands is said to be the home of the legendary Pokémon Lugia."

Her friends remembered the same thing. Joey spoke up and said, "That's it! Maybe we'll be able to meet our old buddy from Atlantis. And when we do, maybe he can help us find the Cobalt Star shard."

Kaiba had his doubts. "What are the odds of it being the same Lugia from back then?"

"Maybe Kaiba's right," said Yugi. "If we do manage to see Lugia, I don't think it could be our old friend. Let's not get our hopes up."

Suddenly, the ship began rocking. Kaiba could see that they were getting closer to the Whirl Islands because of the nearby whirlpools. As they got closer, the ship began rocking violently. They tried to hold on to the rails, but the heroes ended up getting tossed off the ship. It was impossible for them to swim because the current was too strong and they were getting pulled into the whirlpools. They got pulled under, but weren't spinning around violently. Something in the water grabbed them and carried them away.

The mysterious being brought the heroes to the surface of an underwater cave. Kaiba was the first to come to and began coughing the water out of his system. As his friends started doing the same thing, he took out the map and looked at his surroundings.

"Now where are we," Joey asked.

"I don't know," Kaiba answered. "None of this is on the map."

"A Pokémon must have rescued us and brought us here," Yugi wondered.

"You are correct," said a voice. A Pokémon lifted his head out of the water and approached the heroes. It was the legendary Pokémon Lugia.

But was it the same Lugia who helped the heroes rescue their world? The only way to find out was to ask. Joey faces Emily and requests, "Ask him if he remembers us."

Lugia was silent for a few seconds, then answered, "Of course I remember you. And I wondered when the Gods would open the door to this world for you, Heroes of Millennia."

None of them could believe it. It was their old friend. Yugi approached Lugia and said, "Pardon me, Lugia, but I don't think we've officially met. I'm Yugi."

"Yes, the boy who shared his vessel with the spirit of the great pharaoh," said Lugia. "I have heard of you and I know you very well. And I must say, it is remarkably pleasing to see you again, my old friends. How have you all been?"

"We've been doing well, thank you," said Emily. "What about you?"

"I have been just as well," said Lugia. "It has been wonderful living among the Magical Creatures you call Pokémon again. I have traveled the oceans and seen the wonders of this world from the skies as well and it is as fascinating as I dreamed it would be. I have returned home."

It was amazing to hear about Lugia's adventures and the heroes agreed with him based on their experiences. Joey didn't want to forget, so he spoke up and wondered, "Hey, Lugia, do you think you can help us?"

"For you, my heroes, anything," he replied. "But before you ask, I believe I may know of your needs. Recently, I have felt the presence of the Millennium Star; a force I have not felt since our last stand against the Great Leviathan. You have been brought to this world by the Great Goddess herself."

"Yes, yes, you're right," said Joey. "We're looking for a Cobalt Star shard and we think a Pokémon may have it."

Lugia knew and that was the point he was getting to. "When I came to the world of Pokémon, I met a divine Pokémon known as Arceus."

"I've heard of Arceus," Yugi was saying. "He's considered a Pokémon sovereign."

"Pokémon sovereign?" Joey echoed.

"A divine entity," Kaiba clarified.

"I know what a sovereign is," said Joey.

Emily told her friends to keep quiet and let Lugia speak. He continued by saying that Arceus welcomed Lugia home, but alerted him that one day, the Gods would open the door to this world again and their chosen warriors would soon arrive. "Arceus knew you would come here," Lugia told the heroes, "and he is expecting you. I believe he may have what you seek. But if he does, claiming the Cobalt Star shard will be a difficult task."

"Finding Arceus will also be hard for us," said Yugi. "He lives in a world separate from our worlds."

"True," said Lugia, "but there is a temple inside a mountain in the north. Arceus knows of the bonds I forged with you heroes and decreed that if I should meet you again, I must take you to the temple to meet him."

"Can you take us there now?" Joey wondered.

"I can, but not now," Lugia answered. "Arceus will be expecting you, but he wants to wait until you are ready."

"When will that be?" Kaiba asked.

"Right now, Arceus is resting in his own world. I will know when he is ready for you when I am able to sense his arrival."

There was no point in questioning that sensation. The arrival of a divine entity or supernatural force is often easily sensed by animals and other inhuman creatures.


	30. Catching Up and Learning Something New

Catching Up and Learning Something New

Now that Yugi and his friends knew where the Cobalt Star shard was, it was only a matter of time before the divine Pokémon sovereign would request their presence. Until then, they agreed to stay with Lugia and explore the Whirl Islands with him.

There was a corner of the island that humans didn't normally like to explore, so it was safe for Lugia to come to the surface. They played on the shores and reefs and swam in the water. Even the Pokémon were enjoying themselves.

In the evening, while the heroes were resting, Lugia asked Emily if he could speak to her Pokémon. She said it was all right and she released them from their Pokéballs. None of them knew what it was about, but they distanced themselves from their trainer and joined Lugia for a private conversation.

"Oh, Lugia, it's a great honor to be in your presence," Undine said respectfully.

"Emily's so lucky to be friends with you," said Shade.

Lugia was flattered. "It is not luck," he responded. "Us meeting together was fate."

That made something occur to Undine. "There's something I've been curious to know. How is it that legendary Pokémon like you know Emily?"

"Long ago, her mother and father were great friends even to legendary Pokémon," Lugia answers. "Her mother was actually once a student training under them. But how I personally know Emily is a different matter. I helped her and her friends to save mankind."

"What happened?" Sylphid asked.

"Before I answer, I need to know, are you all fond of Emily?"

The siblings faced each other as they were thinking about Lugia's question. Luna was the first to reply. "I love Emily very much. She's been so kind and good to us and she's taken good care of us."

Lumina agreed. "She's like a second mother to us. She's looked after us when we were ill or injured, she's comforted us when we were sad or scared, and she taught us about real strength."

"But it doesn't mean we love her more than we love our real mother," Salamando added. "And she's knows that as well."

"Emily's risking so much for us to help us find and reunite with our parents," said Shade.

Lugia was acknowledging their responses. "If you should find your parents, what will be the course of your journey?"

"We've been thinking a lot about that," said Sylphid. "I know it's selfish of me to speak for myself, but I love Emily and I'll never find another human like her. I wouldn't be who I am today without her. And I owe her for that. So I want to stay with her forever."

His siblings agree and say the same thing. "Emily helped us to grow in body and spirit," said Lumina. "And I want to return the favor by always being there for her not as a companion, but as a friend and a sister."

"She said we were family to her, and we think she's family too," said Luna. "We love traveling with Emily because we love Emily. So instead of going back to the wild, we'll remain as her Pokémon."

Lugia was not surprised to hear these words. "Your loyalty and devotion to the princess is true and I can see that she really has taken care of you and been more than a friend to you. I know because I had the same experiences long ago."

Undine was confused. "Princess? Did you say Emily is a princess?"

Lugia nods and asks, "Tell me, have any of you sensed a powerful force emanating from her body?" The siblings were thinking back. They had often recalled sensing something hidden inside of Emily. "The force you have been sensing lately is the Millennium Star."

"What's the Millennium Star?" Lumina asked.

Lugia began telling the story of the Battle of the Gods and how Millennia and Cobalt were turned into stars and how they had warriors fighting on their behalf. "Princess Emily and her friends are descendants of warriors of Millennia. They have been sent by the Great Goddess herself to find and gather the shards of the Cobalt Star."

"That's right," Lumina muttered. "Emily and her friends have been talking about that a lot on the journey. We didn't realize what any of it meant." She looks back at Emily, then faces Lugia again and asks, "Why did she never tell us who she really was?"

"Princess Emily could not tell you because she and her friends come from a world where Pokémon exist only in stories," Lugia answered. "It is a place where you could never belong no matter how much you would wish to stay with her."

The siblings silently gasped at that. If that was true, then none of them would be able to go home with Emily. They would have to stay in their own world.

"But you must understand," Lugia was saying, "though you and the princess will be worlds apart, your bonds will last. But be honest with me, does this discovery change your feelings towards your trainer?"

The siblings remained silent as they faced each other. They didn't appreciate that Emily was keeping a strong secret from them. But was it something to be upset about? They said they loved her. Luna stepped forward and was the first to answer. "No." Her brothers and sisters gave the same response.

Lugia smiled. "Very well. Now go to her." And he dives back into the water.

The siblings looked and saw Emily walking on the shoreline looking for some beach treasure to collect like shells and stones. As she saw them looking up at her, she assumed, "You all look like you have something to say."

"We do," said Undine. "We know who you really are. We found out from Lugia."

Emily silently gasped. She looked at her Pokémon with great remorse. "I'm sorry."

"When were you going to tell us?" Lumina asked. "You know, about being a princess with incredible powers and being chosen by a goddess to carry out a mission."

"Were you ever going to tell us?" Shade wondered. "If not, then that's fine."

But it wasn't fine. "I didn't think any of you would have believed me if I told you from the beginning. And you already had your own problems. I didn't want my mission to get in the way of helping you find your family. I was afraid that if I did, you would think I would be using you for selfish ambitions." Thinking about it caused tears to fill Emily's eyes.

Luna approaches Emily and kisses her. "Please don't cry, Emily. We know now and that's what counts."

"That's true," said Sylphid. "And if your journey was in our way, we'd let you know. But we've had so much fun traveling with you. Not to mention it's been good for us."

"Sylphid's right," Salamando said in agreement. "If we had never met you and had just gone back to find our parents, we wouldn't have lasted out there. Traveling with you has kept us safe and made us stronger."

"And if helping you fulfill you mission will return the favor, we'll do it," said Shade. "Because we'll still be helping each other. You'll be helping us find our parents and we'll help you get the Cobalt Star shard you need."

Emily couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Do you all really mean that?"

Luna nods. "We love you, Emily, and we want you to be happy like you want us to be happy. And if we can't go back with you to your world, then it's okay. We can wait for you to come back for us."

Lumina agreed. "We just have to build a home we can share."

Emily smiled and hugged her Pokémon. "Thank you all. And I'm sorry."

Lugia sighed as he watched Emily bonding with her Pokémon. He was pleased to know that he was right and none of them harbored bitter feelings. But watching them made him feel a little sick at heart. It had been so long since he last shared the same experience with his old friends and now they were gone. But perhaps he could relive it again with his new friends.

Lugia approached the shoreline. "Princess Emily," he softly called.

"Oh, hi, Lugia," she told him. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, of course," he told her. "I was just wondering, have you been happy since you came here?"

She nods and says, "After we defeated the Leviathan, my friends and I were promised that we would get to come to your world someday too and live in it. We've been looking forward to that day since then. And now that we're here, it's just as we were promised it would be. I can't wait to tell the rest of my friends back home about the world of Pokémon when I get back. And I'll come back here and share with them all I've learned and seen." She pauses and remembers, "But I'll have to face Arceus for the Cobalt Star shard before I can."

"That time will come soon," Lugia promises her. "You know, Princess, I am awfully glad that you and your friends are here."

Emily smiles and approaches Lugia to pet him. "We were promised that we would meet you again. And it's really great to see you."

He turns around and gestures for her to climb on his back. "Come with me," he offers. "I want to show you my world."

Emily becomes excited, but before climbing on, she starts thinking about her friends. "But what about Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba? I'd ask if they can come along, but I don't think you'll be able to carry them. I remember you did manage to carry all of us once before, but maybe this time could be different."

Lugia didn't want the boys to feel left out either. He still could carry everybody at once, but the journey would be long. Then he got an idea. "I can carry two at a time. You can bring a partner with you and I can take the other half of the team on a ride as well."

"Good idea," Emily said in agreement. She returns her Pokémon in their Pokéballs and approaches her friends. "Hey, guys, Lugia's going to take me for a ride. He said I could bring one of you with me, but he can take the rest of you on a ride too. Do any of you want to come?"

It sounded exciting. Yugi decided to go along with her and Kaiba and Joey decided to ride together for their turn. Together, they climbed on Lugia's back. Before Lugia can fly, he has to get under the surface first. So he swims deeper under the water, then picks up enough thrust as he returns to the surface and starts flying.

Just as his friends from the past made him a part of their world, it was his turn to make his new friends a part of his world. As he got higher into the sky, he began singing.

 _I can show you the world_

 _Shining, shimmering, splendid_

 _Tell me, my friends, now when did you last let your hearts decide?_

 _I can open your eyes_

 _Take you wonder by wonder_

 _Over, sideways, and under on the most magical ride_

As Lugia began diving through the clouds, Yugi started singing, _A whole new world, a new fantastic point of view_

 _No one to tell us 'no' or where to go or say we're only dreaming_

Emily joined in and sang, _A whole new world, a dazzling place I never knew_

 _But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear that now I'm in a whole new world with you_

 _Now I am in a whole new world with you_ , Lugia sang.

 _Unbelievable sights, indescribable feeling,_ Emily was singing, _Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling through an endless diamond sky_

 _A whole new world_

 _Don't you dare close your eyes,_ Yugi sang as he removed her hands from her eyes. They were now getting lower, but still above the ground. They were no longer in Johto, but now flying above Kalos.

 _A hundred thousand things to see,_ continued Emily.

 _Hold your breath, it gets better,_ Yugi added. Then they saw Ash and Pikachu and their friends Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie and waved at them. Ash and his friends were amazed to see Lugia in the sky. He and Serena and Bonnie and Pikachu waved back at them. Clemont was working on another invention, but as he looked in amazement, by taking his eyes off of his work, it went up in smoke and got everyone dirty and gave them frizzy hair.

Trying not to laugh, Emily continues singing. _I'm like a shooting star, I've come so far, I can't go back to where I used to be_

 _A whole new world,_ Yugi sang as they were coming to the Unova Region.

 _Every turn a surprise,_ Emily added. She saw the Swords of Justice Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, and Keldeo galloping through the plains. Lugia lowered himself so she could reach and pet them. Keldeo was tickled by the feeling of her hand in his mane.

Yugi petted Cobalion and sang, _With new horizons to pursue_

 _Every moment, red letter,_ Emily sang as they were getting higher above the ground again.

Together, Yugi and Emily were singing, _I'll chase them anywhere, there's time to spare, let me share this whole new world with you_

Yugi picked a Gracedia Flower and gave it to Emily. _A whole new world_

 _A whole new world,_ she echoed.

 _That's where we'll be,_ Yugi sang.

 _That's where we'll be,_ Emily repeated.

 _Thrilling chase,_ Yugi added.

 _A wondrous place_ , Emily sang.

 _For you and me,_ they finished together and began holding hands. Lugia didn't mind that it was starting to get romantic between the two. He understood how much they loved each other. But it was time for him to take them back to Joey and Kaiba, who were still waiting for their turn.

Lugia safely brought them back to the Whirl Islands. Joey was ready to go, but Kaiba saw that Lugia looked a little tired and decided to let him rest. Joey agreed. That would give him time to hear about the places Yugi and Emily visited.

Emily climbed off of Lugia's back. "Thank you for the ride, Lugia. I had a wonderful time."

"It was my pleasure, Princess," he insisted.

She notices a troubled expression on his face. "Is something wrong?"

Lugia clears his throat. "Forgive me. It has been so long since I was able to share such great experiences with my friends. Tonight was the most fun I ever had since… since…"

Emily understood what he was talking about. "You're thinking about Melinda, aren't you," she wondered, "and the times you shared with her."

He nods in sadness. "Although I have let her go, I still miss her and the rest of our friends."

Emily approaches him and gently pets him. "You only wanted her to be happy so you could be happy too and she wanted the same for you. If she were here today, she'd want you to start over and move ahead."

"That is why I was sent here," Lugia tells her. "I understand the burdens love can carry. But I must remember not to dwell on the past. Although I have let her go and she is at peace, I will still have her in my heart. And it is the same for your mother and father."

She nods in agreement. "I wish my father were here. He would have loved seeing you again and seeing this world."

Lugia consoles her by rubbing his head against hers. "I am sure he would be very proud of you, Princess; you and your friends. I miss him too, but he will always be our friend and in our hearts."

Emily smiles and hugs Lugia. "Thank you again, Lugia. I'm glad we're friends."

He places his wing over her to hug her. "So am I, Princess."


	31. Give it a Whirl

Give it a Whirl

After showing his friends around the world of Pokémon, Lugia agreed to graciously serve as their guide around the Whirl Islands. He didn't mind drawing attention from the islanders. Once being a guardian, he was very social around humans.

He brought them to the shores of Blue Point Isle. "You can begin exploring the Whirl Islands by starting on this island. I will meet you on the other side."

"You don't have to do that," said Yugi.

"I insist," said Lugia. "It is an honor to serve the warriors of Millennia once more."

"Well, thank you," Yugi told him. "We greatly appreciate it." And Lugia ducked below the surface.

It looked like the heroes arrived in time for the Whirl Cup, a competition that happens on the Whirl Islands once every three years. The competition wouldn't start until a few weeks, so competitors had plenty of time to prepare. Yugi and his friends hurried to the Pokémon Center to register for the Whirl Cup.

Emily and Kaiba decided to sit this one out and let Yugi and Joey register for the competition. Although Yugi admitted he didn't have any water Pokémon, he decided he would catch some for the competition. Joey would be getting his Pokémon trained up also.

Looking at the map of the Whirl Islands, Yugi and Joey learned that the competition would take place on Red Rock Isle, which was northwest from their current location. To get to Red Rock Isle, they would have to go to Yellow Rock Isle, and to get there, they would have to cross through Blue Point Isle.

In the middle of the island was a lagoon where Pokémon called Chinchou resided. Chinchou lived in the lagoon to lay their eggs and raise their young and when they would get old enough, they would leave the lagoon and travel to the beach. The people who lived near the lagoon made it a tradition to watch the Chinchou parade through the island and help them get to the ocean safely. Yugi and his friends decided to follow the parade of Chinchou to the ocean.

The heroes and the Chinchou safely crossed the rest of the island and made it to the other side only to be greeted by their good friend Lugia. He welcomed the Chinchou into the ocean waters and they were ready to begin their new lives out to sea. Lugia was also ready to take his friends to Yellow Rock Isle and he helped them climb on his back.

When they got there, the heroes understood why it was called Yellow Rock Isle. The rocks that formed around the island really were yellow. The island was also well known for its fishing and farming industries. As usual, Lugia would swim to the other part of the island where he would wait to meet his friends.

Emily was intrigued by the merchandise in one of the stores. There were trinkets made from the horns of Corsola. The people of this island would collect the horns shed by Corsola and use them to make jewelry and crystals of different shapes. But as fascinating as the trinkets were, Emily decided not to buy anything. They looked delicate and she wouldn't be able to handle them carefully on the journey.

Yugi and his friends walked along the shore of the island and were intrigued at what they were seeing. There were beach houses resting on nests of Corsola. It was another fascinating wonder of humans and Pokémon living together and helping each other.

Emily saw Lugia sticking his head out of the ocean. "Hello, Lugia."

He smiled and chuckled. "Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience."

"Oh, no, it's no inconvenience that you're following us," she insisted.

Joey agreed. "We love that you want to hang out with us."

Kaiba had different feelings about the matter. "But you really should be careful. You know what happens when people see legendary Pokémon."

Lugia knew, but he had been swimming around the islands for a long time and was familiar with the islanders. He still felt like a guardian and felt compelled to watch over and protect the people and Pokémon of the Whirl Islands just as he did for the people and Pokémon of Atlantis. It wouldn't bother him if he attracted any attention. He really had become more social by interacting with his friends.

Joey got an idea. "Why don't we take a break? I'll make us some lunch. Lugia, would you like some too?"

He nods and replies, "I would like that very much."

"Great," said Joey. "I'll gather some supplies."

"I think I'll try fishing for some Pokémon," Yugi decided.

"I'll join you while we're waiting," said Kaiba.

Lugia got an idea. "I can carry the both of you out to sea where you can catch some."

Kaiba and Yugi liked the sound of that. They picked up the fishing rods they bought from the Seaking catching competition and climbed on Lugia's back. Emily decided to help Joey make lunch.

The boys had been waiting patiently. Finally, they both felt their lines being tugged. Kaiba reeled in a Seadra and Yugi reeled in a Mantine. Yugi called on Noctowl to help and Kaiba called on Quilava. "Be careful, my friends," Lugia warned them. "But I wish you good luck all the same."

"Thanks, Lugia," Kaiba told him. He had his Quilava attack with Swift. Seadra countered with his Bubble Beam. Quilava tried attacking with Flamethrower, but Seadra launched his Water Gun to douse the flames. Quilava charged through the steamy mist and managed to land a hit on Seadra. Kaiba takes this opportunity to capture him, so he tosses his Pokéball at Seadra. It moves around on the water, but the center glows, signaling that the capture was a success.

Noctowl and Mantine were battling in the air. They were tackling each other and trying to daze each other with their Supersonic and Hypnosis. Mantine tried to use his Take Down attack, but Noctowl dodged it and used Confusion. Seeing that he's dazed, Yugi takes this chance to capture Mantine, so he tosses his Pokéball. The ball moves around the water, but Mantine breaks free. He tries to daze Noctowl with his Supersonic, but Noctowl evades it and uses his Wing Attack. Yugi tries a different approach and tosses his Lure Ball. This time, the capture is a success. Kaiba and Yugi cheer in triumph and high-five each other.

"Congratulations, my friends," Lugia told them.

"Well, we couldn't have done it without our Pokémon," Yugi told him. "And we owe you thanks too, Lugia, for bringing us here and helping us capture them."

Kaiba agreed. "You do a lot for us."

"That is because we are friends," Lugia replied.

Yugi smiles with appreciation. "Well, if there's ever anything any of us can do for you, please let us know."

"Thank you, Yugi," Lugia says gratefully. With that being settled, he takes the boys back to the beach where Joey and Emily are waiting. They finished making lunch. It was chowder with buttered bread on the side. The Pokémon had their own food and Lugia even brought back his own rations though his friends insisted on sharing with him. Emily and Joey even brought back a large supply of fresh fruit they picked from the trees and there was also a bowl of fresh water for him to drink from. Lugia graciously accepted their kindness and ate the food he was offered with great appreciation.

After resting their stomachs, the group was ready to get back on the move. Lugia set his friends on his back and carried them to Red Rock Isle. "Here we are," he said as they were approaching the island. "This is where you can register for the preliminaries of the Whirl Cup competition."

"All right," Joey was saying, "I can't wait."

Yugi placed his hand over Lugia's head. "Thanks for bringing us here, Lugia."

Emily agreed. "You didn't have to go through the trouble of bringing us around the islands, but you did and it really means a lot to us."

"It was my pleasure, Princess, and I had a lot of fun," Lugia insisted. He brought them to the pier and helped them climb off. "Yugi, Joey, best of luck to you in the Whirl Cup."

"I wish you could watch us," Joey complained.

"I will still be able to hear about it," he promises them. "And no matter which of you wins or if neither of you wins, I will be proud of the both of you."

"Thanks, Lugia," Yugi and Joey say in unison.

"Have fun and I will be here when you get back."

"Come on, guys," Kaiba tells his friends. "Let's get you registered." And they hurried to the registration office.

There were different preliminary rounds the competitors had to go through and they all had designated areas. Yugi was sent to Stadium A and Joey was assigned to Stadium B. After the preliminary rounds, sixty-four competitors would be chosen to proceed. They would also need two wins in order to proceed for the finals.

Joey and Yugi went to the beach to train their Pokémon. When they got there, they saw a Slowpoke resting on a rock and fishing with its tail. Yugi wanted another water Pokémon for the competition, so he decided to capture Slowpoke. Slowpoke noticed Yugi's presence and responded to his decision about wanting a battle, so he climbed off the rock and positioned himself in front of Yugi. Yugi tossed his Pokéball and called on Bayleef for help. She attacked with her Razor Leaf, but Slowpoke just yawned. Bayleef was about to catch him with her Vine Whip, but Slowpoke's Yawn made her drowsy and caused her to fall asleep.

Yugi called Bayleef back into her Pokéball and substituted Noctowl to take her place. Slowpoke yawned again, but Noctowl's special ability Insomnia prevented him from falling asleep. He attacked with Wing Attack and knocked Slowpoke out. Yugi tossed his Pokéball at Slowpoke and watched with anticipation as the ball rotated. When the center glowed, he raised the Pokéball and cheered in triumph. Now he had two Pokémon for the competition.


	32. The Whirl Cup

The Whirl Cup

The next day, the preliminary rounds began. Yugi was pitting his Slowpoke against his opponent's Seel. Slowpoke launched his Water Gun, but Seel dodged it and attacked with Ice Beam. Slowpoke just yawned and took the attacks without feeling anything. Seel was too busy trying to attack Slowpoke that he wasn't aware of Slowpoke's Yawn. Suddenly, Seel became drowsy. Slowpoke attacked with his Confusion and Seel was no longer able to battle.

In Joey's first battle, he was pitting his Wooper against a Magikarp. The weak fish jumped in the water and just splashed around. Wooper smacked him around with his tail and defeated him with ease. After winning the battle, Wooper glowed and began evolving. He was now a strong and slick Quagsire.

Yugi and Joey fought against other Pokémon like Shellder and Seaking and they were winning their battles. Who could expect any less from a couple of champions? When the matches were through, they met up at the main gate and high-fived each other. By the way things were going, Emily and Kaiba agreed that there was a good chance that Yugi and Joey would face each other in the competition.

Then Emily remembered. "Yugi, you have a Slowpoke, right? And, Joey, you have a Poliwhirl too."

Yugi and Joey face each other. "Yeah?"

"Well, I was thinking," then she reached into her bag and pulled out two King's Rocks. "I've been holding on to these for a while and I was thinking maybe you guys should have them."

Yugi and Joey take the King's Rocks from her. "Thanks, Em," Joey tells her.

"Yeah, thank you," said Yugi.

Poliwhirl got excited and began jumping up and down. Joey lost his grip on the King's Rock, but Poliwhirl caught it for him. But when he did, he began glowing. When the light faded, Poliwhirl took on the shape of a green frog. He was now a Politoed. Yugi lowered his hand and was unaware that Slowpoke was reaching for his King's Rock. When he touched it, a wild Shellder appeared and clamped on his head and he began evolving as well. He stood on his hind legs and was wearing a frilly collar around his neck and a Shellder for a crown. He evolved into Slowking.

"Wow, two evolutions in one day," said Yugi.

"Hold on, where did that Shellder come from?" Joey asked.

"That was the Shellder Slowking was fishing for when he was still a Slowpoke. After I captured him, the Shellder was kind of following us around," Yugi answered.

"Interesting," said Emily.

Kaiba faced his friends and told him, "You guys should get some rest. The competition starts tomorrow." Yugi and Joey agree and shake hands with each other.

The day of the competition had now arrived. All competitors were in the stadium ready for the opening ceremony. Leading the ceremony was a beautiful young girl with light violet hair and blue eyes and a dress as blue as the ocean itself. It was Maya, the sea priestess. "Welcome," she announced. "Welcome to our friends old and new as we celebrate the Whirl Cup. We are most pleased to be able to share with you our love and appreciation of all water Pokémon. And at the same time, we are so happy to include each and every one of you as true heroes of the sea and may every one of you receive the ability to communicate with our water Pokémon brothers and sisters with this magnificent sea spirit." And she raised her jeweled staff.

"And so, with our united purpose, I shall now engulf the sea spirit union." Maya positioned the jewel on her staff close to the sun and a blue light glowed from it. "And now, let the Whirl Cup begin!" And everyone cheered for the competitors.

For Yugi's first match, he chose Mantine. His opponent chose Kingdra. Mantine dove underwater and began swimming around. Kingdra used his Twister to create a whirlpool. Mantine tried to fight against it, but got caught in the vortex. Kingdra let up on his Twister and launched his Water Gun. Mantine shook himself back to his senses and glided away to dodge the attack. Kingdra tried to attack with Hydro Pump. Mantine glided through the swirling water gracefully. He tried to use Take Down, but Kingdra dived underwater. To obscure himself, Kingdra used Smokescreen. Mantine was the first to come to the surface. He glided around looking for Kingdra. Just then, Kingdra came to the surface and surprised Mantine. Kingdra was about to launch another Hydro Pump, but Mantine wrapped his tail around his snout and sealed it shut. Kingdra began to bloat with all the water building up inside. When Mantine loosened his grip, Kindra began shooting in the air like a balloon free of air. When he finally ran out of water, he floated on the surface like a dead fish. He was no longer able to battle.

It was now day two of the Whirl Cup and Joey was finally getting a chance to battle. He called on Quagsire and his opponent called on Qwilfish. Qwilfish made the first move by attacking with Water Gun, but Quagsire just stood there. He was taking the attack to keep his strength up because of his special ability Water Absorb. After getting drenched, Quagsire launched his Mud Shot. It was super-effective against Qwilfish because he was a poison-type as well as a water-type. Qwilfish began swallowing the water in the battlefield to make himself bloated. Now that he was fully bloated, he could use the spikes on his back and launch them for his Pin Missile attack. Quagsire avoided injury by shielding himself with Muddy Water. Qwilfish tried to attack Quagsire head-on with a Take Down. Quagsire tried to smack him away with his tail, but ended up getting hurt because of Qwilfish's special ability Poison Point. But it didn't matter. Qwilfish was no longer able to battle.

The group met up at the main gate. "Wow, today was awesome," said Emily.

Joey agreed. "Everyone had really incredible Pokemon. And the best part is Yugi and I made it to the second round."

That was good news, but the next surprise wasn't going to be a good one. "Guys, the matchups for tomorrow have already been decided. And let me tell you, I don't think it's what you're expecting." Kaiba was right. Yugi and Joey were going to be facing each other in the next round.

"No way!" gasped Joey.

"So soon?" Yugi asked.

They faced each other with the same surprised expression. But they quickly pulled themselves together and smiled. It was just a game. There was nothing personal on the line for any of them. They were going to fight with everything they had and remember to have fun. So they shook hands and wished each other good luck.

The next day, Yugi and Joey were ready for their battle. Joey chose Politoed as his first Pokémon. Yugi chose Mantine as his first Pokémon. Mantine glided towards Politoed for a Wing attack, but Politoed used Bounce to jump out of the way. He jumped into the water, but Mantine dove underwater too and began using Whirlpool. Politoed tried to get out of the vortex, but couldn't. Mantine charged in and used Take Down. Politoed was out of the vortex and back on the platforms. Mantine tried to attack with Supersonic, but Politoed used Bounce to dodge. He charged right at Mantine and began smacking him with Double Slap. Mantine was no longer able to battle.

Yugi withdrew Mantine and called on Slowking. Joey noticed that Politoed was looking a little tired, but Politoed told him he could keep battling. So Politoed launched his Bubble Beam. Slowking stopped the bubbles with his Confusion and attacked with Psychic. Politoed became confused and was having a hard time keeping his balance. Slowking charged in and used Zen Head Butt, knocking Politoed out.

Now Joey was down to one Pokémon. He called on Croconaw to take it from here. Slowking used Confusion to lift Croconaw and toss him in the water. Croconaw came to the surface and began swimming towards Slowking. He was about to use Bite, but Slowking acted fast and used Zen Head Butt, blasting Croconaw to the other side of the arena. Already, Croconaw was knocked out. No one expected that to happen. No one ever expects anything great from such an unusual Pokémon. That's why they're full of surprises. Joey wasn't disappointed that he lost. He was glad that his best friend won and was going to the next round.

It was time for Yugi's next battle. He chose Slowking as his first Pokémon and his opponent chose Gyarados. Yugi was nervous. The opposing Gyarados was wearing a Mega Stone, meaning that his opponent had a Keystone. Slowking made the first move by attacking with Yawn. Gyarados launched his Hyper Beam. Slowking took a direct hit, but managed to get back on his feet. Gyarados used Hydro Pump, another merciless attack. Slowking dodged it by jumping in the water. He came to the surface and used Yawn to make Gyarados drowsy.

Yugi's opponent was about to take the match to the next level. She touched her Keystone and the Mega Stone Gyarados was wearing started reacting to it. Gyarados had now Mega Evolved. He avoided Slowking's Yawn and attacked with Hyper Beam. And because it was stronger than the last one, Slowking was defeated.

Yugi withdrew Slowking and called on Mantine. Although Gyarados Mega Evolved, he was pretty tired after using those powerful attacks. He used Hydro Pump, but Mantine dodged it and used Take Down. Gyarados crashed into the pillars and fell in the water. The effects of Mega Evolution wore off, meaning Gyarados was defeated. Now it was time for his partner to take it from here. It was a Chinchou. Yugi had to be careful. Chinchou was an electric Pokémon and his attacks could deal serious damage. Chinchou made the first move by attacking with Spark. Mantine dodged it by gliding and attacked with Supersonic. Chinchou was now confused. His trainer kept commanding him to attack, but he was too confused to obey. Mantine charged in and used Take Down. Chinchou crashed into the wall and was knocked out.

After six days of competing, the Whirl Cup had finally come to an end. Yugi emerged victorious with his friends supporting him and his Pokémon helping him. Maya congratulated Yugi and awarded him with a special item called the Mystic Water. He would also be known as the water Pokémon Alpha Omega.

Maya raised the Sea Spirit staff before the ocean. "O great sea spirit and past heroes of the sea. Continue to watch over the Whirl Cup competition and safeguard the harmony of all humans and Pokémon alike." The Sea Spirit sapphire on her staff began glowing from the sun's light.


	33. Hi Ho, Silver, Away!

Hi Ho, Silver, Away!

Yugi and his friends returned to the dock where Lugia was waiting. "I heard about your victory in the Whirl Cup, Yugi," Lugia tells him. "Congratulations."

Kaiba chuckled. "Well, what did you expect? He's a champion; the King of Games."

Lugia chuckled as well. "Yes, he certainly does have the blood of champions flowing in his veins."

"And look," Yugi says, showing his prize, "I got this Mystic Water."

"And you received the blessing of the sea priestess and the water Pokémon," Lugia added. That wasn't the only thing that happened. New friendships were made and the bonds between the heroes lasted through the competition. Joey wasn't sad for himself. He was glad that he got to compete and he was more glad that his best friend won.

"Well, where to next, guys?" Kaiba asked.

Lugia knew how to answer. "There is still one last island for you to explore; Silver Rock Isle."

"Well, then, Silver Rock Isle it is," said Emily.

"All right then," Lugia tells his friends, "everyone climb aboard." And he stretches his neck out towards them. "Careful, now. Watch the eyes and be gentle with the scales." Carefully, they climb down his neck and position themselves on his back.

Once again, Lugia dropped his friends of at the nearby port and decided to wait for them at Ogi Isle on the other side. When they got to the marketplace, Yugi and his friends saw a lot of objects resembling the silver wing. There were charms, pastries, cookies, jewelry, almost everything carrying the shape of the silver wing.

"Lugia said that this was his most favorite island," Emily was wondering. "I'm starting to see why."

Yugi agreed. "He said it reminded him of Atlantis."

Then Emily remembered. "The people of Atlantis kept charms of silver wings to honor their great guardian. And they were made of silver rock too. I guess the tradition has lasted in this world since it's the only home Lugia has now."

Joey thought of something. "Do you still have that silver wing charm Melinda gave you?"

"I do, but I left it at home to keep it safe," she replied. "She said it was special to her. It belonged to her mother and she kept it to remember her and so that she could keep her spirit close. Then Melinda gave it to me to remember everything I learned and to treasure the events that occurred. So that makes it special to me."

"So it's both a memento and a family heirloom," Kaiba assumed.

Then Emily got an idea. She walked up to one of the jewelry stores and bought a necklace with a silver wing hanging from it.

"What are you doing, Briar?" Kaiba asked. "You already have a silver wing."

"It's for Max," she answered. "I know she likes silver, so I thought I'd buy her a present. And these are very special, so I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

"Speaking of Max," Kaiba was saying, "we have to remember to give her the Cobalt Star shard once we get it from Arceus."

"I wonder why he hasn't summoned us yet," said Yugi.

"I'm sure he's ready for us," Emily wondered. "Maybe we're just not ready for him yet. But he'll know. And when he does, he'll ask for Lugia to take us to him."

Yugi agreed. "We're just going to have to be patient."

"In the meantime, we should get to Ogi Isle," said Kaiba. "There's a cave that will allow us to cut through just at the end of town." His friends agreed and decided to get going.

It was pretty damp because it was an underwater tunnel. Some Pokémon from the sea liked to rest inside the tunnel too. Kaiba took notice of a Zubat resting on one of the rocks and decided to capture it. It was resting, so Kaiba thought catching it would be easy. So he tossed his Pokéball at Zubat and caught it successfully. It was his easiest capture yet.

They got out of the tunnel and stopped to feel the gentle breeze and the warmth of the sun. "Come on," Emily was saying, "Lugia's waiting for us on the bay." And they hurried to the bay on the island.

Lugia lifted his head out of the water. He saw his friends and called them over. "Hello, my friends," he called. He approached them and said, "I come bearing great news. I have sensed the arrival of Arceus. He has come to this world."

Yugi's eyes widened. "He's here now?"

"Yes, and I assume he has gone to the temple mountain. I can take you there now."

"Yes," said Kaiba. "This is the moment we've been waiting for."

Lugia turns around and positions himself for flight. "Everyone climb aboard. Yugi, Princess Emily, sit on my back. Kaiba and Joey, hold on to my feet."

Joey was becoming enthusiastic. "This is cool. We're on a mission together again just like in our battle against Dartz and the Leviathan." And they all climbed on Lugia.

"Is everybody ready?" Lugia asked his friends.

"Ready," everybody replied.

"All right then! Here we go!" And Lugia takes off and flies into the sky. Their next destination is the temple in the north.


	34. The Pokemon Sovereign

The Pokémon Sovereign

It wasn't a hard journey, but getting to the mountains wasn't easy because of the cold. Lugia could tolerate cold water, but he never had to travel through snow or sleet before. The weather was plain and there was a little bit of sunshine through the clouds. The good news was their destination was in sight. He brought them to the entrance of the temple.

Yugi saw that he was looking exhausted. "Are you all right, Lugia?" he asked with great concern.

He panted and replied, "I am just not as young as I once was."

"You carried all of us at once before, but you don't have the strength you used to have," said Kaiba. "Sorry for wearing you out."

"It is not you," he insisted. "It is the climate."

His friends got off anyway. "Is this the temple?"

"Yes," Lugia answers. "Arceus is inside and is waiting for you."

Emily felt a tingle in her head. "The Cobalt Star shard is here. I can sense it."

Yugi faces Emily and asks her, "Are you ready for this?"

"This is why we came to this world," she answers. "Our journey has led to this. It's time."

Kaiba was suddenly starting to be against the idea. "You're either really brave or really crazy for going through with this. If Arceus is all that the game has classified him as and what he's rumored to be in this world, then you don't stand a chance against a Pokémon sovereign."

"I have to try," she tells him. "If I don't, we'll still be stuck here."

"I am coming with you," Lugia tells his friends.

"No," Kaiba says firmly. "You've done enough for us since we met you."

"I was obligated to bring you to the Pokémon sovereign when your presence was requested and I have done that," Lugia was saying. "But that does not mean my task is complete. The four of you are my friends and I must protect you. We worked together to save your world and can work together again to save this world from the Dark Lord's evil. The world of Pokémon became my home and since you came here, you have been a part of it and I was able to share it with you. Because this is your home too."

Emily's eyes shined. "Lugia," she whispers. After what they discussed since they met, Emily knew that Lugia wasn't spending time with the heroes to relive the past, but to create new memories with his new friends. In Atlantis, Melinda and her friends shared their world with Lugia. Now he was sharing his world with the new warriors of Millennia. "Thank you," she finally tells him. And together, Lugia and the heroes pass through the entrance.

As they walked through the grand hall, they noticed statues of legendary Pokémon like Palkia, Dialga, Reshiram, Zekrom, Giratina, and Kyurem. They faced their front and saw Arceus standing in the middle. "That will be all, Lugia," he says softly.

Lugia bows in respect. "Yes, my sovereign."

Arceus turns his attention to the heroes. "Come closer, children. Don't be frightened."

Emily was the first to step forward. She gulped and said weakly, "Arceus, the Great Goddess sent us to you."

"Oh, did she?" Arceus asked her. "She is a dear old friend." He urged the heroes to come closer so he could see them better. "Closer," he requested. And they all came to the middle of the temple and were standing before him. "Ah, the chosen warriors of Millennia. What an honor this is."

Yugi returned the gesture. "It's an honor to meet you as well."

"Arceus, my friends and I-"

Arceus interrupts Emily and says, "I know why you have come. The Cobalt Star shard you seek is here." He turns around and shows them a small case. "There is something you need to know first. There is a book on the arc. Read the words if you can."

Yugi approaches the book and sees that it's written in Unown. "Yes, I can read a little."

"Read," Arceus softly demands.

Yugi abbreviates the words as he tries to make them out. "The Shadow Games have brought great calamity. Our world is changing. Many of us cannot stay here any longer. The Great Goddess was a dear friend and her children are noble and true heroes. I am lost in knowing what I can do to help. Perhaps it is best that I do nothing at present or until asked for help." Yugi couldn't believe what he was reading. "Wow, I didn't know," he muttered to himself. He faces Arceus and asks him, "How is it that none of us know anything about this?"

"To answer that, I must tell you about how the world changed after the Shadow Games," he tells Yugi. The truth was Millennia and Cobalt were once friends before they started battling with each other. That's why they easily understand each other and are able to cooperate despite their differences. They agreed that the Shadows Games was both their faults and all they could do was watch their children try to set things right.

"The world and its inhabitants will never be the same again," said Millennia.

Cobalt agreed. "We must start over as we try to make things right."

"There is nothing you and I can do anymore," Millennia tells him. "We do not have the power we used to now that our Stars have been divided."

"It is no accident that this occurred," Cobalt tells her. "Actually, this could be good for us, my Lady. This act of destruction could be the key to restoring balance. But the only way to know for sure is to watch over our children and followers."

"And we can learn from them just as they will be learning from us," Millennia added. "But we are going to need help."

As if on cue, Arceus came before the Great Goddess and the Dark Lord. "My Lord and Lady, in light of these cataclysmic events, if there is ever anything any of my brethren and I can do for you, we would graciously serve you."

Then Cobalt got an idea. "Actually, Arceus, your arrival is most opportune, my friend. As I understand, you are a creator and a destroyer, which makes you a sovereign."

Millennia got the same idea. "We need you to use your power for us."

"What can I do?" Arceus wondered.

"The world must be divided," Cobalt decrees, "and the inhabitants must be divided with it; people, monsters, traditions, plants, animals. It is essential for them to start over."

"They must be separate, but still united," Millennia added. "One Earth, but many worlds."

"I can arrange that," Arceus promises them.

"And one more thing," Cobalt requests. "As you are aware, our Stars have been divided into different fragments. I want Millennia's shards to remain in one world so that her power will be fully restored for when we meet again. And I want my shards to reside in different worlds each one guarded by a future follower of darkness."

Millennia faces Cobalt with concern. "That seems a little unfair."

The Dark Lord disagrees. "It is actually reasonable. In the state I am in, I will not be able to travel to the other worlds though they will be connected by the Shadow Realm. But as I recall, my Lady, you created a sanctuary that is its own world, but still connected to the world."

Millennia saw where he was going with this. "I see, it can be a gateway to the other worlds. I can send my children to covet your Star shards."

Cobalt nods. "I hate having to rely on my bitter enemy, but in desperate situations, I am willing to ask for help from my friend."

The Great Goddess smiles. "Hopefully, as the journeys go, you and I will finally be able to find a way to put an end to our battles and restore the balance between us."

"And hopefully, we will be free again," Cobalt finishes. So the deal is done and the world is divided to their choosing. Since then, everything has worked in their favor.

Now Yugi and his friends knew everything. It really was no accident that the world was divided into many different worlds.

"The Dark Lord entrusted one of his Cobalt Star shards to me. Thus far, I have kept it safe," Arceus tells his guests. "But I cannot just _give_ you the Cobalt Star shard. According to the laws of the ancient ways, you have to win it from me in a battle, Princess."

"Yes, I know," Emily tells him. "I guess I have to face you in a Pokémon battle then, don't I?"

"Not quite," Arceus tells her. "You can battle me yourself using your magic."

Emily's eyes widened. "Use my powers to fight you?" She repeated. "But I can't. My powers have been blocked since I came to this world. And it wouldn't really be fair to battle you myself."

"It is quite fair," Arceus promises her. "After all, I am a sovereign, so it is fair game. And considering that we are fighting for a Cobalt Star shard, you will be able to use your powers this once." Arceus was right. They would be fighting using the powers of Gods and it was reasonable because Arceus was considered a Pokémon sovereign.

"Okay, then," Emily said, without much confidence. "I'm ready to battle." Suddenly, her wings emerge from her back.

"Then let us begin!" Arceus declares.

To protect his friends, Lugia shields the boys with his wings and uses Protect to avoid taking any damage from the battle. "Good luck, my princess," he whispers.

Emily makes the first move by flying close to Arceus and attacking him with her wings. He chuckled because he felt more like he was being tickled than attacked. After that, he Head Butts her and she falls to the ground. Emily tries a different approach by attacking him with her magic, so she creates fire from her hands and waves it towards him. Arceus uses his ability to change his type and resist damage.

Kaiba groaned. "Now I remember why that Pokémon is so hard to beat. It has the ability to change its attribute and protect itself from all enemy attacks."

"How is that possible?" Joey asked.

"Arceus carries seventeen life plates representing the different types of Pokémon," Lugia explains. "It is the life plates that give Arceus his invincibility."

"Of course!" Yugi gasped. "Arceus is only immortal because of the life plates. If he should lose one or a few or all of them, he's just as mortal as the rest of us."

"Yes, but the life plates are inside his body," Lugia reminds him. "It is impossible to make Arceus lose his grip on them."

"In that case, Briar's just going to have to think of something different and fast," said Kaiba.

Emily decides to attack Arceus with her most powerful spell. Concentrating on the element of love, she allows it to fill her up. After that, she uses her Lucent Beam. Amazingly, it manages to work against Arceus.

"No way!" gasped Joey. "That attack actually worked?"

Then Emily remembered the different types of Pokémon that there are. Light wasn't one of them. And because of that, Arceus couldn't protect himself. "I guess I found a weakness," she boasted.

"Perhaps you did," Arceus complemented. "But it will take more than that to defeat me." He uses Dragon Pulse to fight back. Although Dragon was a type of Pokémon, it wasn't an attribute for magic. Emily couldn't protect herself from that attack.

Joey couldn't take any more. "We can't just stand here, we've got to help!"

Lugia uses his wing to block him. "It is not our fight. Princess Emily is the only one who can end this."

Arceus saw that Emily was looking tired. "You have fought well, my princess. But I am afraid this battle will conclude with my victory."

Emily was on her knees. "This battle," she panted, "is far from over!" She places her hand close to her chest and releases the Millennium Star. When she does, she transforms into the princess.

This was the moment Arceus had been waiting for. "You have tapped into your true power. Now the real battle can begin!"

"What is she doing?" Kaiba asked. "She's going to get herself killed like last time!"

But Lugia had different feelings about the matter. "No. This time is different."

"How do you know?" Yugi asked him.

"The stakes in this match are different than the stakes from last time," Lugia tells him. "The outcome may result differently. Just watch."

Arceus prepares to use his most devastating attack. He launches his attack in the sky and unleashes Judgment and burning rays come down like meteors. Emily sees them coming down on her and counters with her own rays of light. She also unleashes the light of the Millennium Star on Arceus. He tries to hold it back by using his Cobalt Star shard, but starts to become overwhelmed. Seeing this, Emily stops her attack.

"Arceus!" she cried, seeing him lying down. "Arceus!" and she runs up to him. "Arceus, are you all right?"

He opens his eyes and groans. "You ceased your attack. Why?"

Emily was silent for a moment, then answered. "If I kept going, I would have killed you. Your life plates wouldn't have been able to protect you. It wouldn't have been right if my victory resulted in your death. You were battling as yourself. You weren't under the influence of any evil force. That's why I didn't think it would be right or fair if I kept attacking you. So I… I…" she looks down and whispers, "I yield."

Arceus couldn't have expected any more from his opponent. "I have seen all that I needed."

"What?"

He lifts himself up and stands on his feet. "You have a good heart, Princess Emily, and that makes you the winner of our battle."

"But how?" she wondered.

"Rather than pursue victory, you put the well-being of your opponent first," he explains. "Although you were aware of the fate you would have faced for your loss, you made it the least of your worries. You spared an innocent life from an impending danger because you remembered that your foe was also your friend," he was silent for a minute, then added, "just as Yugi did for Joey."

Yugi knew that Arceus was talking about what happened in Battle City. "Arceus, are you able to see what goes on in the other worlds?"

"Not quite," he replies. "I saw it through the Cobalt Star shard I was charged to protect. And speaking of which," and he uses his power to give the small case to Emily. She opens it and sees a fragment of the center piece. "Although you have rightfully earned it, you must keep it safe," Arceus warns her. "The only other warning I can give you is this: the Dark Lord has chosen many other servants to protect his Star shards and they will prove to be more formidable and dangerous foes than me."

"Thank you, Arceus," Emily tells her. "I'll make sure to deliver this to Max when I next see her."

"Good," he tells her. "It was an honor to battle with you, my princess." He turns his attention to Lugia and tells him, "You were right about her, Lugia. She is a true daughter of Millennia."

"And she is also like her father," Lugia adds. "I have seen her display the same courage and determination he had. In fact, all of these warriors take after their ancestors."

Arceus nods in agreement. "I am honored to have met every one of you. And I am also happy for you to be a part of our world. We may be divided, but we are also still united."

"That's right," said Yugi.

"There will be danger, but I hope you will also have fun along the way," Arceus adds. "And good luck to all of you as you continue your journey."

"Thank you again, Arceus," Emily tells him and she turns back into her original form.

He faces Lugia again and tells him, "If it pleases you, Lugia, I hope you will continue to watch over and protect your friends."

"It would be a great honor and privilege, my sovereign," Lugia replies.

"Very well then," Arceus replies. He really didn't mind that Lugia and the heroes were having fun together. In fact, he thought it was good for all of them. Arceus leaves the temple and returns to his own world. "I have now fulfilled my task for the Great Goddess and the Dark Lord," he tells himself. "Yet the Heroes of Millennia will continue to serve us far more than we them. By taking their journeys, they are coming one step closer to ending the battles between Millennia and Cobalt. But we must continue to help them in any way that we can."

Emily puts the case inside her bag. Thinking about her friends, she tells them, "Look, it's all right if you guys want to go home. I mean, I understand. No hard feelings."

"Well, we did get what we came here for," Kaiba was saying.

"And now that we have it, we can go home whenever we want," Joey adds. "I don't mind staying here a little longer. It's not over yet, anyway."

"Why not?" Emily asked.

"Because you're still competing for the Johto league," he answers. "We should keep going and finish what we started."

Yugi agreed. "You've still got to win three more gym badges. We can go home when you're done."

Everyone faces Kaiba and asks for his opinion. He sighs and says, "I suppose when you put it that way," then he shrugs and says, "All right, I'm in." And his friends cheer for his response.

"Climb aboard, everybody," Lugia tells his friends. "Tell me where to go and I will take you there."

"It's time to go back to Olivine City," Emily declared.

"Very well," Lugia says and prepares for takeoff. After making sure everyone is safely onboard, he lifts himself from the ground and flies them to Olivine City.


	35. Will of Steel

Will of Steel

Lugia brought his friends to the pier of Olivine City. It felt good to be out of the cold and back in the sun. The beach is sometimes better than the mountain. "Here we are," Lugia announced.

Yugi and his friends climbed off and set foot on the dock. "I guess this is our last ride with you."

"Yes, it is," Lugia tells him. "But I had a lot of fun showing you the world and traveling with you. It was also just as wonderful helping you once again."

"We had a lot of fun too, Lugia," said Joey. "Hanging out with you was the best part of this adventure."

Kaiba agreed. "Thanks for everything."

"No," Lugia was saying. "Thank _you_ for coming here and being a part of my world."

"Lugia, will we ever see you again?" Emily asked.

"Of course," he promises her. "Of course you will. After all, goodbyes are not forever. So if you ever want to see me again, come back to the Whirl Islands. I will be there."

"Okay then," Emily says sadly. "Goodbye, Lugia." And she plants a kiss on his nose. But Lugia admitted to himself that he was feeling sad too. Saying goodbye to his friends reminded him of the time he said goodbye to Melinda before she died. But he knew this would be different. He knew he would be seeing the warriors of Millennia again and spending time with them again.

"I will always be with you," he says softly. He also places his wings over the heroes to hug them. "Our worlds may be separate, but we will stay united."

Joey agreed. "That's right; friends 'till the end."

"All of you take care of each other," said Lugia. "And good luck on the rest of your journey."

"We will," Kaiba promises him. "And you take care as well."

Lugia nods and lifts his wing to wave goodbye. "Goodbye, my friends." And he dives back into the ocean.

Emily sighed as she looked at the horizon. "Father would have loved this," she whispered.

"Think we'll ever see Lugia again?" Joey wondered.

Yugi nodded. "I'm sure of it." He was right. They would always be friends and friends are always destined to meet again one way or another no matter what place or time.

Just then, Janina came to the pier. "Hey, guys. You're back."

"Hi, Janina," said Emily. "Did you come to pick us up?"

She nods and wonders, "I saw you guys from the lighthouse. Were you riding a Lugia just now?"

"Yeah, he's an old friend," Yugi answered. "He brought us back after our journey on the Whirl Islands."

Janina was amazed. "That's awesome." Yugi and his friends decided to tell her about their adventure on the way to the gym.

Janina brought the group to the arena where Jasmine was waiting. "I've been waiting for you," Jasmine tells Emily.

She nods in agreement. "Me too. I've been waiting for this for a long time."

Janina decided to referee the match. "Each trainer will be allowed to use two Pokémon. The match will be over when both Pokémon on either side are unable to continue battling. At stake is a Mineral badge. Battle begin!"

Jasmine tossed her Pokéball and called on Magnemite. Emily decided to start with Sylphid. The boys were confused. Salamando would have been a better choice, but Emily knew what she was doing. Sylphid tried to attack with Thunder Shock, but Magnemite dodged the attack. It tried to stun Sylphid with its Thunder Wave, but Sylphid dodged it. He tried using Thunder Shock again, but Magnemite was too fast. He tried to send sparks everywhere by attacking with Discharge. Magnemite tried to send its Thunder Wave all around, but still couldn't land a hit on Sylphid. But Sylphid was starting to get worn out after dodging Magnemite's attack. Emily saw that he needed to be recharged, so she told him to be steady and take the attack.

The effects of Thunder Wave wouldn't paralyze Sylphid because he was an electric Pokémon. But thanks to his special ability Volt Absorb, taking the attack would restore his strength. And with Magnemite drained of its electricity, it was too weak to avoid an attack. Sylphid charged in and used Double Kick, which was super effective. Magnemite was no longer able to battle.

Jasmine was ready to call on her strongest Pokémon. It was a Steelix and he was wearing a Mega Stone. After being recharged by Magnemite, Sylphid still had some fight in him. But Emily had to be careful because Steelix was also a ground-type. Sylphid tried to attack with Double Kick. Steelix took some damage, but not enough. He used Iron Tail, but Sylphid was fast enough to dodge it. Sylphid tried to attack with another Double Kick, but Steelix pushed him away with Iron Tail. Normally, steel-type attacks aren't very effective against electric Pokémon, but Sylphid felt like the weight of a boulder was forced on him. He tried to get back on his feet, but couldn't.

Emily called Sylphid back and sent Salamando to take it from here. Being a fire-type, he could withstand steel-type attacks like his brother. But Emily still had to be careful with all that strength. Jasmine assured her Steelix that he had nothing to be afraid of though his opponent was a fire-type. In fact, she was ready to take the match to the next level. She placed her fingers close to her hair and touched her Keystone. Steelix's Mega Stone began reacting to the power of the Keystone, allowing him to Mega Evolve. Emily knew it was going to come to this. Steelix was bigger and stronger, but Salamando is a Pokémon that fights with fire and passion in his heart. He tried to attack with Flamethrower, but Steelix shielded himself using Sandstorm. After the Sandstorm let up, Emily and Salamando noticed that Steelix disappeared. They saw a hole in the arena and figured he used Dig to escape. Feeling rumbling in her feet, Emily knew where Steelix was going to come up from, so she guided Salamando away from Steelix. Steelix failed to attack with Dig, so he tried using Iron Tail. Salamando wasn't as fast as his brother, but he still managed to dodge the attack.

Salamando tried using Flamethrower, but Steelix did the same thing as before and used Sandstorm to shield himself. He also burrowed himself underground, but instead of coming up from under, he came up from behind Salamando. He used Iron Tail again, but Salamando dodged it. Steelix tried to attack again. Being in the air, Salamando was in no position to dodge, so Emily told him to change his course by using Flamethrower against the ground. Steelix burrowed himself underground again and emerged in front of Salamando. He was about to use Iron Tail again, but Salamando jumped in one of the tunnels to avoid getting hit. He came up from behind Steelix and managed to successfully attack Steelix with Flamethrower.

Salamando went back in the tunnels, but Steelix used Iron Tail to cause the ground to shake and crumble. Salamando managed to get out before he could get caved in. When he did, Steelix managed to hit him with his Iron Tail. He managed to avoid a direct hit, but getting hit by that Iron Tail made Salamando feel like he was getting crushed with the weight of a boulder. Salamando knew he would only be kidding himself if he said that attack was nothing compared to what he had been through. But he was the stubborn one of the family and wouldn't go down easily. He weakly got back in the arena.

Steelix was about to end the match using Crunch, but fire surrounded Salamando's body and he dodged it. He was now moving faster than before. He learned to use Flare Blitz. He tried to charge in for an attack, but Steelix pushed him away. But coming in contact with Salamando's attack cause him to get burned. Salamando tried once again to attack with Flamethrower, but Steelix used Sandstorm to protect himself once again. But Salamando wouldn't let up. He kept giving everything he had. It didn't look like anything was happening, but after a while, heat began to build up inside the Sandstorm, weakening Steelix. Now he was trapped in a whirlwind of fire. When the attacks stopped, Steelix fell to the ground in defeat and the effects of Mega Evolution wore off.

Emily and her boys cheered in triumph. Sylphid and Salamando hugged each other and they hugged Emily too. Jasmine called Steelix back into his Pokéball. "That was great, Emily, turning that Sandstorm back on me as a whirlwind of fire was brilliant. It's been a long time since I last saw that maneuver." She holds out her hand and presents Emily with the Mineral badge. The blonde girl takes the badge and cheers in triumph.


	36. For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll

For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll

The next gym was located in Mahogany Town. To get there, the heroes had to backtrack to Ecruteak City. Since they would be taking the same route back, getting there would be pretty easy. But they managed to get a few rides from traders who were going their way. It saved them the trouble of passing through mountains and getting sick on their travels.

It may have taken a few weeks to get to Olivine City from Ecruteak City, but with all the extra help, the heroes managed to make it back in a few days. They decided to rest up in town for a while and stock up on supplies.

Just then, the heroes heard chiming. It was coming from the Tin Tower. They decided to head over there to check it out. To their surprise, they met Morty. "Well, well," he greeted them. "It's been a long time since I last saw the four champions of Duel Monsters. Somehow, I'm not surprised to see you all again."

"Morty?" Kaiba asked. "Why are you here?"

"Well, if you must know, I've come to investigate the sounds of the bells of the Tin Tower," he explained. "The bells haven't chimed like this in a long time, but when they do, it means that Ho-Oh is coming."

Everyone was shocked to hear that. "How can you tell?" Yugi asked.

"I'm not sure how to explain it, but when you four came back to Ecruteak City, something inside told me that Ho-Oh was coming to make itself known to you."

"Ridiculous," scoffed another voice. It came from an arrogant man in a purple suit and a white cape. He also had a bracelet with a Keystone in the center. Morty introduced him as Eusine. He was a man in pursuit of legendary Pokémon and the one he's had his eye on for a long time was Suicune.

Morty brought the team back to his study. On the top floor of the Tin Tower rested four sacred objects known as the crystal bells. They would only ring when the arrival of Ho-Oh was near. Morty was about to check and see if the bells were ringing before he met up with Yugi and the gang. Everyone already knew the story of the Burnt Tower, but Morty decided to go further into the story. Although the Tower had been destroyed, the thirty-two metal bells and four crystal bells were not. They withstood the fire and were not damaged in any way. After the new Tower was built, the bells were put back into their original place with the hope that Ho-Oh would one day return. Since then, the bells have never rung.

But for the bells to ring now, it was still unclear if Ho-Oh was coming. But everyone did know this much: Ho-Oh was still watching over the world. From what Eusine discovered in his research, Ho-Oh's anger and rage will only cease when the hearts of humans and Pokémon are one and when that happens, Ho-Oh will finally make itself known to humans again. Until then, Ho-Oh's servants will continue to observe humans.

According to the legend, from the fires of the Tower, three Pokémon were born. They were the noble dogs of the Johto Region. There was Entei, the reincarnation of the volcano, Raikou, the reincarnation of thunder, and Suicune, the reincarnation of the North Winds.

When Yugi mentioned that he and his friends saw Suicune when they first arrived in the Johto Region, Eusine became jealous, but the jealousy quickly turned to disbelief. He boasted that Suicune would only appear before someone worthy and he accused Yugi and his friends of not being of any worth. To confirm his suspicions, he challenged Yugi to a battle.

The challenge would take place in the arena of the Ecruteak gym. Eusine tossed his Pokéball and called on Alakazam. Yugi decided to battle with Bayleef. Immediately, Eusine touched his Keystone and tapped into the power of Mega Evolution, causing Alakazam to Mega Evolve.

Before the battle could start, the bells began to chime again, only much louder than before. Everyone looked up and saw a great bird approaching the Tin Tower. It was Ho-Oh.

"Unreal!" gasped Joey.

"We've got to check this out!" Yugi cried. Everyone agreed and hurried to the Tin Tower. On the way, they heard a strange roar. Suddenly, a mysterious Pokémon appeared before them. It was a blue dog with white diamond patterns and a purple mane with a crystal crest. It was Suicune, one of the three noble dogs.

Everyone was amazed to see Suicune standing before them. Eusine was not going to let this chance slip away now that she was here. He immediately challenged her to a battle and called on Alakazam. When Alakazam emerged from his Pokéball, Eusine touched his Keystone and made Alakazam Mega Evolve once more. Alakazam was about to attack with Confusion, but Suicune warded him away with Roar, causing him to retreat to his Pokéball.

Suicune cautiously approached Emily. "Are you the princess who holds the Millennium Star?"

"I am," she weakly answered.

Suicune lowered herself and bowed in respect. "I have orders to bring you to the Tin Tower. Ho-Oh requests your presence. Your friends may come, but no one else."

"All right," Emily says, climbing on Suicune's back.

Morty's eyes widen. "What are you doing?"

"Suicune wants me to come with her to the Tin Tower," Emily explains. "She said Ho-oh wants to see me."

Eusine couldn't believe what he was hearing. "How can you understand Suicune? And why would it make itself known to you? Who are you and how are you controlling Suicune?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Emily told Eusine. "Yugi, Joey, Kaiba, let's go. Ho-Oh's waiting for us."

"Lead the way," said Yugi, and Suicune brings the heroes to the Tin Tower.

As they climbed the stairs, they noticed that the bells were ringing. When they got to the last floor of the Tower, they saw that the crystal bells were ringing. When they came outside, they saw Ho-Oh sitting on the roof.

"So it is true," Ho-Oh was saying. "The warriors of Millennia have come to this world."

"Ho-Oh," Emily said in awe, "it's wonderful to see you."

She agreed. "Word has gotten out fast that the warriors of Millennia have been traveling through these lands. I wanted to see it for myself."

"That's why you've returned after so many centuries?" Joey wondered.

"That tradition has passed," said Ho-Oh. "But it remains true that I only appear to those worthy of my presence. And when I heard of your victory against Arceus for the Cobalt Star shard, I knew it was time for us to meet."

"So what now?" Kaiba asked.

"You may have fulfilled the task you were assigned, but there is still more to do," Ho-Oh explains. "I have heard that harmony can be restored only by the warriors of Millennia, but I do not believe it is so. But do not mistake it for me not having faith in you. The Gods want you to restore the balance between them by righting the wrongs they caused. Hopefully it will set an example not just for people and Pokémon, but for all of mankind and for beasts in the worlds you will travel to."

"Wow, I can see that harmony is such a big deal," Kaiba remarked.

"It was what made our world beautiful and allowed us to live together as one," said Ho-Oh. "I know you may already know this, but since man and monster began living together, the bonds grew stronger. Monsters wanted to be part of the human world by becoming humans. They had the power to take on the shape of humans, but remain as monsters for their abilities."

"So Pokémon had the power to turn into humans?" Yugi asked.

"Yes," Ho-Oh answered. "Humans were seen as the most advanced animal for being the last link in the chain of evolution. It was not enough that monsters wanted to be with humans. They wanted to be humans for their wondrous qualities and talents for imagination, creation, and to understand human emotions. But when violence broke out because of petty differences and greed and lust for power, the bonds between man and monster began to break. Since then, many monsters have lost the abilities they once had during their need to adapt and survive. The power to transform into a human has been lost for centuries."

Emily felt great sorrow for Ho-Oh's story. "A lot has changed since then. I agree a lot of it wasn't for the better, but some good has come from it. We can't go back to the harmony we once had in the ancient past, but by learning from our histories, we slowly start to understand each other."

"I know," Ho-Oh was saying. "And humans still have that dream with the hope of returning to how things used to be. But although these traditions have played an important part of history, they will not shape the future. They have to be let go. That is essential in starting over. That is why I travel tirelessly around the world, you see. I appear not to those worthy, but to everyone in need of hope."

"You're right," said Kaiba. "Nothing is ever accomplished by repeating history and trying to gain different results. In order to really move ahead, you have to let go of the past because if you hold on to it, your burdens will weigh you down."

Ho-Oh was glad that the heroes understood. "That is correct. It does not do to dwell on the past. But by learning from your wrongs, you can better yourselves and change the world for the good as you go."

"That's why you haven't been coming back to the Tin Tower like you used to," Yugi was saying. "You wanted to pass this lesson without having to repeat history."

"Does that mean you'll never come back to the Tin Tower ever again?"

"Not like I used to," Ho-Oh answered. "But I will still give my blessing to humans and Pokémon because everyone deserves it. The harmony between us cannot return to what it used to be, but these new harmonies are good. I have seen the bonds between humans and Pokémon and I know there are people with good hearts."

"Maybe it's better that way," said Kaiba. "After all that you've shared with us, it's best not to repeat history and rely on the hope that you'll return, but to believe that you'll always be with us."

Ho-Oh was pleased with their response. "I knew you would understand. And for that, you four have my blessing."

"Thank you, Ho-Oh," Emily whispered.

Ho-Oh spreads her wings and begins to leave the Tin Tower. "I will always watch over you, warriors of Millennia." And she leaves into the world.

The heroes decide to leave the Tin Tower as well. They come outside and see Morty, but Eusine is already gone. He left in pursuit of Suicune.

"You four are very amazing," said Morty. "First Suicune appears before you and Ho-Oh returns to the Tin Tower to meet you. You guys are something else. The legendary Pokémon must see something good inside you to want to appear before you."

"You have no idea," said Joey.

"Ho-Oh wanted to give us her blessing," Emily explained.

"You know, Emily, there's something I've been wondering," Morty asked. "When Suicune first arrived, it almost looked like you were talking to each other."

She nods and tells him, "I can talk to Pokémon and understand them."

"Another thing," Morty was saying, "it was like Suicune knew who you were and wanted to meet you. And it certainly seemed to have a lot of respect for you and your friends."

Emily wasn't sure how to respond to that. "I guess we'll never know. I mean, legendary Pokémon choose the people worthy of their presence, that much is known. But it's not always clear why. I guess it's because of what they see in us."

"I guess you're right," said Morty.

"Well, today was interesting," Joey was saying. "We should head back to the Pokémon Center and rest. After that, we'll be on our way to Mahogany Town."

"Good luck on the rest of your journey," Morty tells the heroes. He and Emily shake hands and go their separate ways.


	37. Handle with Extreme Caution

Handle with Extreme Caution

On the path to Mahogany Town, the heroes came to a small town in the valley and decided to rest and stock up on supplies. They noticed that a lot of trainers were being pulled by their Pokémon while riding on their skateboards. They were practicing for the annual race of extreme Pokémon. Yugi and his friends knew that in ancient times, people used Pokémon to get around as means of transportation. Now in this small town, it became a sport. It looked a little dangerous, but it also looked like fun. And when there was a competition, there was an opportunity Yugi and his friends couldn't pass up. Although Yugi wasn't into extreme sports like skateboarding, he felt an urge to take part in the competition.

Now that Yugi had the equipment, he had to choose a Pokémon for the race and according to the rules, competitors could only register one Pokémon. And based on the Pokémon the trainers where practicing with, they had to be strong and quick and capable of carrying their partner. Yugi decided to use his Bayleef. She was big and strong enough to carry Yugi. The competition wasn't until tomorrow, so Yugi and Bayleef decided to spend the rest of the day practicing for the race. He had a hard time keeping his balance on the skateboard most of the time, but he learned to go with it as Bayleef pulled him around and the skateboard tilted.

After a hard day of practicing and a good night's sleep, Yugi and Bayleef were ready for the race of extreme Pokémon. There was going to be danger, but where there's bound to be danger, it's important to keep calm in any situation because that's the key to keeping control.

After passing through the slopes of the hills, the racers made it to the nearby Pokémon day care center to pick up a dummy egg and carry it back with them to the finish line. Yugi was trailing behind the leader, a trainer with an Arcanine. The leader wasn't going to make it easy for Yugi. He and Arcanine kept blocking Yugi's path. Yugi and Bayleef were going to have to take advantage by jumping from the nearby ledge. When they did, Bayleef began glowing. She grew larger and developed a flowery collar around her neck. Her skin tone also turned into an electric green. She had evolved into Meganium and had now become a lot faster. By a few inches, Meganium made it to the finish line before Arcanine. Yugi and Meganium were the first to bring their dummy egg to the finish line.

Not only was Yugi awarded with a trophy, but the people at the Pokémon day care center were nice enough to give him a real Pokémon egg. What kind of Pokémon would hatch from it was going to be a surprise.

It had been three days since Yugi received his Pokémon egg. He had been stopping at the Pokémon Centers to make sure it was healthy. After receiving thorough checkups, Nurse Joy notified Yugi that his egg was healthy and close to hatching.

The suspense was starting to take its toll on the heroes. They kept on wondering what kind of Pokémon would hatch from the egg. Yugi wanted it to be healthy and hopefully get along with the other Pokémon. Finally, the time was here. The egg began glowing in Yugi's hands. He could also feel something pulsating from inside. The shell cracked and limbs emerged from it. A spikey head also emerged from the shell. It was Togepi.

"It's finally here," Yugi said with glee. "It's a Togepi."

"It's so cute," Emily giggled.

Kaiba began looking at Togepi's information in the Pokédex. "It says here that Togepi is a fairy-type Pokémon said to bring joy and good luck. The only moves it knows so far are Charm, Sweet Kiss, and Metronome."

"It's a little too soon for Togepi to start battling," said Yugi. He decided to start out nice and slow and introduce Togepi to the rest of his Pokémon. He called on Slowking, Mantine, Meganium, and Noctowl. Although they were bigger and fully evolved Pokemon, they knew to be gentle around Togepi. Needless to say the newborn Pokémon was startled and started hiding behind Yugi. "Don't be afraid," he said softly. "These are our friends who've come to meet you." Togepi just tightly held Yugi's shirt and whimpered. Meganium used her vines to reach Togepi and gently touch her. Togepi was scared at first, but started liking the feeling. Meganium also began tickling Togepi. Noctowl approached her and brushed her with his wing. Togepi also laughed at Mantine and Slowking because she thought they were making funny faces.

After the introductions were complete, Yugi gently tapped Togepi with her Pokéball and called her inside. He wasn't ready to train her for battle. For now, he would just care for her like a parent to a child.


	38. A Promise is a Promise

A Promise is a Promise

When they got out of the valley, the heroes saw that they were going to be passing through some mountains again. They had to be careful because fighting-type Pokémon liked to train in combat and ground and rock-type Pokémon like digging around to expand their territory and look for food.

While training their Pokémon with a few practice battles, the heroes caught the attention of some of the Pokémon living in the mountains. They were impressed with their fighting displays and decided to test the heroes to see if they were deemed worthy. One little fighter called Tyrogue was the first to challenge them. Yugi accepted his challenge and called on Mantine to battle. Tyrogue tried to land punches and kicks on Mantine, but he was too fast and glided away. Mantine dazed Tyrogue with his Supersonic and trapped him in a vortex with his Whirlpool. Dazed and confused, Tyrogue was having a hard time recovering his focus. Yugi took this chance to capture Tyrogue, so he tossed his Pokéball. The ball rotated a few times, but the center glowed, signaling that the capture was a success.

Another Pokémon came looking for a challenge. It was a Phanpy and it was a lively one. Joey liked that energetic demeanor and decided to battle Phanpy. He called on Croconaw to battle. Phanpy charged in and attacked with Rollout. Croconaw got pushed against the rocky wall. He got up and launched his Water Gun. Phanpy didn't like the water and shook himself dry. He used Rollout again, but Croconaw caught him and began using his strength to push him back. As they struggled, Croconaw began glowing. He was evolving into Feraligatr. Now stronger, he lifted Phanpy from the ground and tossed him in the air. Joey tossed his Pokéball at Phanpy to capture him. The ball rotated a few times, but the capture was a success.

The next Pokémon was a tough one. It was a Pupitar. Kaiba was aware of the Pokémon this creature would evolve into, so he decided he wanted to add Pupitar to his party. He tossed his Pokéball and called on Onix. Though Pupitar and Onix were the same type, Kaiba decided to make it a match of strength. Pupitar was small, but he was very rock-hard and very strong for that matter. Onix got pushed away, but steadied himself before his strength could cause a rock slide. Pupitar was about to attack again, but Onix coiled himself around Pupitar. He also grabbed him in his mouth and tossed him against the cliff. Kaiba tosses his Pokéball at Pupitar and watches in anxiety as the ball rotates. But the center piece glows and the capture is a success.

Emily was proud of her friends. Now they all had full parties like she did. But there was a lot more to take into account. It's not about how many Pokémon is in a party or what kind of Pokémon is in a party. It's the bond between a Pokémon and a trainer that counts more. How well a Pokémon and trainer can relate together determines how far their bond will go and that will also dictate the course of their friendship.

As Yugi and his friends were thinking about those matters, they had more wonders they wanted to understand. They had been traveling with their Pokémon for months, but didn't know how strong their bonds were. But they knew this much, they were friends with their Pokémon. And being friends is always something to value.

Kaiba finished making a collar for Houndoom and placed it around his neck. The collar also contained the Mega Stone that would allow him to Mega Evolve. Although Kaiba and his friends had seen Mega Evolution in action many times in the gym battles and contests, he wanted to experience it for himself. From what he knew so far, a Pokémon will only Mega Evolve if its heart and the heart of its trainer are one. That was another reason why Kaiba was concerned about the strength of the bonds between him and his Pokemon. If he had the Keystone and his Houndoom had the Mega Stone, it wouldn't be enough. That was when Kaiba figured he knew what had to be done. He had to prove to Houndoom that he cared about him not as a subordinate, but as a part of him. Only then would their hearts connect.

After getting to the foothills of the mountain, the heroes were coming to a forest. They stopped to have a lunch break. As the Pokémon were eating, Undine and her siblings were looking around their surroundings. Emily noticed this and asked what was going on.

"I know this place," Undine muttered. She sniffed the air and picked up the scent of fresh water. "We're close to a lake."

Salamando saw mountains in the distance. "I know we've passed through a lot of mountains, but the landscape looks familiar to me too."

"And I could swear we've been in this forest before," Sylphid added, "when we were younger."

Lumina faced Shade and asked, "Are you thinking what I am?"

Shade faces her and replies, "Yeah, we're here."

Emily joined in and asked, "Here? Where exactly is here?"

Undine faces her and answers, "This is the last place where we saw our parents." She raises her voice and cries out. "We're here! This is the place!" Her siblings cried out with her.

"Now all we have to do is find the lab we escaped from," said Sylphid. "It should still be standing after the fire."

Sensing their determination and remembering her promise, Emily decided to go with her friends and investigate the situation. "All right, lead the way," she tells her Pokémon. They agree and begin leading her and the boys through the forest.

The siblings brought the group to the Lake of Rage. A long time ago, a base was built here at the Lake of Rage and was run by an evil organization called Team Rocket. They did cruel experiments that caused a lot of misery to the Pokémon and there was also a commotion concerning a red Gyarados. Emily assumed that the lab her Pokémon escaped from was run by scientists working for Team Rocket.

It turned out Undine and her siblings were right. The lab was still standing and has been in the process of being rebuilt over the months. Scientists relocated their work, but the Pokémon they captured have been contained in the cellar where there was less damage. "We've got to look around," said Undine. Though the lab has been destroyed, the Pokemon haven't been moved."

"She's right," said Lumina. "I can hear their cries though we're so far away."

"And I can assume that they've been so busy repairing the lab that they haven't had much time to work on experiments," Salamando wondered.

"Do you think Mommy and Daddy could be inside?" Luna wondered.

Shade puts his arm over his youngest sister. "That's what we're here to find out." He lowers his voice and tells himself, "And when we meet, I hope they'll recognize us. It's been months, but they say parents never forget the faces of their children."

Kaiba and the others were confused. "What are we doing here?" The brunette asked.

"This is the lab where Luna and her brothers and sisters escaped from before we met," Emily answered. "They think their parents could still be in there along with some other Pokémon. We've got to get them out of there."

"How are we going to do that?" Yugi asked. "The place is heavily guarded."

"I know," Emily said. "But there's got to be some way to get inside. I promised I'd help my Pokémon rescue their parents and I'm going to keep it. But I've got to plan carefully."

"We'll just bust in and take down the scientists and guards with our Pokémon," Joey suggested.

"It's not going to work that way," Kaiba reminded him. "It worked in the games, but this is reality. Different things could happen."

"Maybe we could sneak in through the ventilation shafts," Yugi suggested.

It seemed like a good idea. Emily kneels and asks her Pokémon, "Luna, are there any ventilation shafts that you and your siblings used to escape? Can you lead us in the same way you got out?"

"We can," she answered. "It's this way." Luna and her siblings led her friends to the back of the base. There was an entrance that had been sealed. Salamando burned it with his Flamethrower and Undine cooled it with her Water Gun. Salamando used his strength to break down the seal.

"I'll follow my Pokémon inside," Emily tells the boys. "You guys should stay here on the lookout for any trouble."

"Okay," Yugi tells her. "Be careful. We'll be here if you need us."

"But what if you get caught?" Joey asked her. "What if we get caught?" Without taking time to answer, Emily follows her Pokémon down the shaft.

Carefully listening, Lumina guides her siblings and her trainer to the basement. The cries of the Pokémon get louder. "It's down here, guys."

Emily reaches into her purse and takes out a coin and uses it to loosen the bolts. The gate opens and Shade is the first to jump inside. His rings light up and reveals a lot of cages, but no guards. "The coast is clear." His siblings and trainer follow him and look around.

Emily looks inside the cages and sees lots of Eevee. "Is this a research lab or a collector's private area?" she wondered. "Why would someone want so many Eevee?"

Shade was looking through the cages too. "Mom? Dad? Are you here?"

"Did any Eevee here have a family," Salamando asked out loud for everyone to hear. "A family of six with three sons and three daughters?"

"Their names were Adam and Mary," said Undine.

"Three sons and three daughters?" asked a voice, belonging to a female. Emily saw a paw reaching through the bars of one of the cages. Inside was a male Vaporeon and a female Glaceon. No doubt they were Adam and Mary. "Our children, they're here?" the Glaceon asked.

"Mother?" Undine asked. "Mother, is that you?" The rest of her siblings approach the cage. Looking closely at the Vaporeon and Glaceon and catching their scent, Undine recognizes that they're her parents. "It _is_ you! You've evolved!"

Adam counts them and sees that there are three boys and three girls and they're all related. They also smell familiar to him too. "I can't believe it. Three brothers and three sisters. You're our children!"

Undine nods and tears fall from her eyes. "Yes, it's us. We're here. We've found you."

"My babies," Mary said happily. Tears were forming in her eyes too. "You've all grown up and you've all evolved. I almost didn't recognize you. But I can't imagine you surviving such a dangerous world all by yourselves."

"We're okay, Mom," Sylphid promised her. "Emily found us and helped us to get stronger. She helped us find and rescue you."

"Emily's taken very good care of us, Mama," Lumina added. "She's the reason we're together again."

Emily lowers herself and holds her hand out towards the Vaporeon and Glaceon. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Adam and Mary sniff her hand and rub their heads against it. "Thank you," the Glaceon says gratefully, "thank you for taking care of our children."

Adam was just as grateful as his mate, but he had to warn them. "Listen to me, it's not safe here. You have to take our children and leave this place."

"Dad, what's going on?" Salamando asked. "Who's doing this?"

He sighs and says, "Son, it's not that I'm not happy to see you and your brothers and sisters again. Believe me, I am, but you shouldn't have come back. We're being moved tonight. A collector paid a great sum of money for all the Eevee here. They want us for our skins."

Emily placed her hands over her mouth and gasped. So there were collectors and fashionistas who made money by making clothes and accessories from the skins of Pokémon as well as animals. The thought of it disgusted her. It was just like in Dodie Smith's book _One Hundred and One Dalmatians._ Emily always hated animal cruelty and it pained her to see Pokémon having to go through the same fate. Well, she wasn't willing to allow the same thing to happen to the Pokémon down here. "I made your children a promise that I would help them find you and rescue you. If we turn away, you'll die. I promised I would save you."

"How can you do that?" Adam asked her. "It's almost nightfall."

"Trust me," Emily pleaded. "There is a way to save all of you, but we have to work together. I promise I'll get you all out of here. When I do, you can return to your homes."

Luna approaches the cage. "Come with us, Mommy. See the world with us. We can travel with Emily together."

Mary already made up her mind. "If my children trust you, then I do too."

Adam's eyes widened. He faces his mate and asks, "But why?"

She faces him and answers, "Our children have risked their lives coming back for us and their friend risked as much to help them. I can't explain it, but I can tell she's different from the other humans. She's taken good care of our sons and daughters. Look at how big and strong they've become." Adam did look and he was proud. "We almost lost our children. Let's not make them have to lose us. We can be a family again. We can start over with our new friend. We just have to trust her."

As the Vaporeon listens to his mate and looks at his children, he sighs and finally gives his response. "All right, but we have to hurry. We don't have much time."

"Okay," said Emily. "I'm going to get help from my friends. I'll be right back." She climbs up the cages and starts crawling through the ventilation shafts. It was one time when she was glad she was short and slender.

"Should we go with her?" Shade asked.

Salamando shakes his head. "Let's bust these cages and help everyone escape." But just when he was about to use his Flamethower, the doors began opening. The siblings quickly hid behind the cages.

"I'm telling you, I heard voices in here," said a female voice.

"All I hear are Pokémon making noises," her partner argued. "Let's just get these cages out in the front door. The truck will be here soon and so will our reward."

"That's something I'm looking forward too," said the same thug. "Can you believe how much money that collector offered us for all these Eevee?"

"I know," her partner told her. "I don't care what happens to these rascals. I just want the money we were promised. After that, we can blow this circus."

"Yeah, it's not like they have feelings or anything."

Luna was quivering with fear. Lumina held her to relax her. Shade was disgusted to hear the two thugs speaking so lowly of Pokémon. He wanted to get out there and teach them a lesson, but he had to stay put. There was no telling how many of them were out there.

Emily safely crawled out of the ventilation shafts. Yugi helped her get back on her feet. "What did you find in there?"

"There's a lot of Eevee locked in cages down in the basement," Emily told her friends. "A collector's coming to pick them up tonight. They said they're being sold to people who make coats and accessories out of their furs."

"That's horrible!" gasped Yugi.

"We saw two ladies walk in through the front door," said Joey. "They must run the facility. They could also be the ones getting ready to ship them out."

"We have to find some way to stop them," said Yugi.

Joey got an idea. "I'll call Officer Jenny and tell her what's happening." And he ran off to find a Pokémon Center.

One by one, the siblings started coming out of the ventilation shaft. Luna came out first followed by Lumina, Shade, Sylphid, Undine, and Salamando. "We've got to stop them!" Salamando cried.

"Joey left to alert Officer Jenny," she told him. "We have to stay hidden until she comes."

A cargo truck started pulling in close to the front door. "Is this all of them?" the driver asked the two hunters. "There must be a hundred Eevee here. My boss is going to be pleased."

"This is all of them," said the poacher with red hair. "Load 'em up and ship 'em out."

Her partner held up her hand. "But first, there's a matter of a little cash," she said, rubbing her fingers together.

The truck driver held out a briefcase filled with money. "Those greedy witches," Emily whispered. "They don't care what happens to those poor Pokémon so long as they get paid for what they do."

"Maybe we can sabotage the truck," Shade suggested.

Emily disagreed. "They'll notice you. If we get caught, we won't be able to help your parents or the others."

"What do we do?" Lumina asked impatiently.

"Just wait," Emily told her. "I'll think of something."

Salamando didn't want to sit by any longer. "Well, I'm not waiting!" he cried and ran over to the truck.

The driver set a cage down as he noticed Salamando. "Well, lookie here, a Flareon. I guess you'll make a cozy hat for my boss." He tried to approach Salamando and pick him up, but the Flareon attacked him with Flare Blitz.

The poachers Lexi and Gwen lost count of their money as they heard yelling. "What's going on over there?" they called out.

Kaiba had enough. "We can't wait any longer. Let's go," he told his friends.

"Hey," Emily called out to the poachers. "Leave him alone and let the rest of the Pokémon go!"

"Who are you?" the raven-haired poacher asked.

"I'm a friend who made a promise to rescue these Pokémon," Emily answered.

"You're wasting your time," Gwen told her. "We've worked too long and too hard collecting these Eevee to get a bounty that's gonna set us up for life. If we lose these Eevee, we get no money, you understand?"

"You don't deserve it," Emily argued. "That's because you don't care about what happens to these Pokémon."

"Why should we? They're just Pokémon." Lexi protested. She turned to Gwen and asked, "I don't really think they have feelings, do you?" The raven-haired girl shook her head in answer.

"You may not think that, but we do," said Kaiba. "And we're going to free these Pokémon." He tossed his Pokéballs and called on Quilava and Houndoom. Yugi called on Mantine and Tyrogue for help. Gwen called on Misdreavus and Lexi called on Ariados. The truck driver, Hurley, called on Granbull. Quilava and Houndoom worked together to burn the metal cages. Mantine used Bubble Beam to cool them down and make them easily breakable. Tyrogue used his strength to break the cages and free the Eevee. Salamando and his siblings worked together as they were fighting off Misdreavus, Ariados, and Granbull. Shade and Luna were working together against Misdreavus, Lumina and Salamando were taking down Ariados together, and Sylphid and Undine were working together to stop Granbull. Watching from inside their cage, Adam and Mary were amazed with the way their children were battling.

"Take what you can and get out of here," Gwen told Hurley. The driver nods and starts the engine, but can't move. Quilava and Houndoom used their fire to melt the tires.

Finally, Joey returns to the base with Officer Jenny and her fellow police officers. Arcanine surround the two poachers and Hurley is pulled out of his truck. "You two are under arrest for Pokémon poaching and illegal trading," Jenny told Lexi and Gwen. "As for your client, we'll be stopping by their property for further questioning."

The heroes and their Pokémon continue freeing the Eevee from their cages. Mary and Adam had been set free too and were reunited with their children at last. It made Emily so happy to see the siblings together again with their parents.

Officer Jenny approached the heroes with great appreciation for their help. "I can't thank you enough. We've been after these criminals for a long time."

"Who were they anyway?" Joey wondered.

"These girls are a dangerous duo with a reputation for poaching Pokémon and illegally selling them for profit," Jenny explained. "But thanks to you kids, they'll never harm another Pokémon or even make another cent for it. But there is one other problem. Our records confirm that there are no reports of missing or stolen Eevee and therefore, there are no calls from anyone claiming the Eevee."

"That means they're all wild," Yugi wondered.

"That's right," said Officer Jenny. "They need a home or… well, they go to the institute."

"No," Emily protested. "Please don't send them to an institute, Officer Jenny. After all these Pokémon have gone through, they can't bear to be back in cages again. Don't you think they belong back in the wild?"

"I wish I could agree, but when a Pokémon has been contained for a long time, they start to become domesticated," Jenny replied. "So although these Pokémon have been confined and mistreated, they've developed a need of being looked after."

"I guess that makes sense," said Emily. She really didn't want the Pokémon to be sent to an institute, but she couldn't take all of them. Then again, maybe she could. "I'll take them, Officer Jenny," she immediately said. "All of them."

Joey's eyes widened. "Are you crazy, Emily? How do you plan on taking care of a hundred Eevee?"

Jenny agreed. "Your friend's right. Taking care of so many Pokémon is a very big responsibility."

Emily knew, but she had an idea. "I was thinking maybe I could build a rescue house for lost and abandoned Eevee. You know, like a sanctuary."

That actually didn't seem like a bad idea. One of Jenny's colleagues said he had a cousin who lived the Kanto Region. Recently, he condemned an old abandoned shack on the outskirts of Pallet Town. He also had a friend who worked in construction. He figured with the help of his cousin and friend, they could rebuild that abandoned site and turn it into a sanctuary.

Now that that was being settled, the only problem was finding a temporary home for the Eevee. Officer Jenny had family in the Kanto Region too and remembered that Professor Oak had enough space at his laboratory for the Eevee. They were promised they wouldn't have to be in cages and they could stay in the fields. They could stay with Professor Oak until the sanctuary had been built.

With the help of Officer Jenny and her colleagues, the heroes were able to get transportation to Mahogany Town. The Eevee were being loaded in crates for their boat ride to Pallet Town. Luna and her siblings talked to their parents. "Thanks for understanding our wanting to stay," said Luna. "You see, we promised Emily we would help her complete her journey just like she promised to help us find and rescue you. We wouldn't do it if it wasn't the right thing, but we love her very much."

"And she loves you too," said her mother. "If she didn't, she wouldn't have risked everything trying to keep her promise."

"Other than that, she would only set you free if that was what you wanted, right?" Adam asked.

Undine nods and tells him he's right. "We knew you'd understand."

Mary smiles at her daughter. "We do. We know how much Emily means to you and that's why we trust her. We know she'll continue to take good care of you."

"And we also know you kids have a lot of responsibilities now," Adam added, "saving the world and all." Tears begin to fill from his eyes. "I'm sorry," he sobbed. "I'm just so proud of all of you for what you've become. You've grown so much, but you'll always be our kids."

"And because of that, we want you to be happy," Mary added. "And if traveling with Emily makes you happy, then we're happy too."

"Thanks, Mom and Dad," said Sylphid. "And just wait, once the sanctuary has been built, we can start over again with a whole new life as a family."

His father nods. "Until then, we'll be rooting for you on your journey through the Johto league. And who knows? Maybe we can use the phones humans use to keep in touch. Given the long-distance relationship we had over the months, I think we can handle it."

The children and their parents hug each other. Emily kneels before the Glaceon and Vaporeon and pets them. "Don't worry, Glaceon. We're going to be together again," Emily promised them.

"We know," said the Glaceon. "Until then, take good care of our kids. And please, call me Mary."

"And you can call me Adam," her mate insisted..

"Of course," said Emily. "We're a part of the same family now. They're more than my friends. They're brothers and sisters to me too and I love them like that."

"They feel the same way about you," said Adam. "That's why you're doing all of this for us. It's so that we can be together as a family and so that our children can have what they deserved; freedom and security."

Emily nods at his response. "You do understand."

The Glaceon and Vaporeon leap on Emily and kiss her. "We can't take you as our daughter, but you are welcome as part of the family," said Adam. He heard Officer Jenny calling them. "It's time to go," he told his mate. "The ship's almost ready."

She agrees and they turn around and race to the boarding platform. "Bye," she calls to Emily. "And thank you again for everything." They join the rest of their fellow Eevee in the cellar and wave goodbye as they see their friends through the window. "I guess nothing will ever be the same again, will it?" Mary asked her mate.

Adam smiles and places his paw over her. "Well, my love, if we work as hard to build a new home just as our children did to save us, it just might be. If not, we can still make the most of it."

Mary smiles back and places her paw over her mate's. "You're right. There's going to be a lot of changes. But one thing's for sure: our children are in good hands with Emily. She's a good person with a good heart."

Her mate nods and says, "That's why the kids love her and trust her. And we will too." They sigh and watch the horizon from the window. They were going to miss their children again, but they knew they were going to meet again.


	39. As Cold as Ice

As Cold as Ice

Emily and the boys spent the night at the Pokémon Center. Now that a new day was here, she was ready to head to the Mahogany gym. Unfortunately, the gym was closed. An old woman named Sheila met the heroes at the front gate and told them that the gym leader Pryce was meditating at the falls. She has happy enough to take the heroes to the falls to meet him.

It was an interesting meditation method, sitting in the falls and feeling the water coming down. But it also seemed to be good for the mind and body. Sheila spoke up and told Pryce he had a challenger. "Pryce, this pretty girl wants to challenge you to a gym battle."

"Hello, Pryce," Emily said quietly. "Sorry to interrupt your meditation."

"That's all right," the old man said and got out of the water. He got back on the ground and got dressed. "I'd be happy to accept your challenge, my dear. What's your name?"

"I'm Emily Briar," she answered.

Unsurprisingly, Pryce recognized her name. "I've heard of you, Emily. You're one of the champions of the Duel Monsters card game. You faced Yugi Muto in the KC Grand Championship."

"That's right," said Emily. "And these are my friends Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba."

Pryce grinned at the boys. "It's a great honor to be in the presence of the champions of Duel Monsters," he said in a humble manner. He lowered himself to bow in respect. He tried to straighten up, but felt a crick in his back and groaned.

"Are you all right?" Emily asked in concern.

"I'm fine," he insisted. "I'm just not as young as I once was."

"Here, let me help you," Emily offered. She picked up Pryce's cane and gave it to him.

"Thank you, dear," Pryce told her. "Now then, let's head back to the gym." And everyone follows Pryce and Sheila back to the gym. The entire battlefield was covered in ice and had icy rocks along with a small pool of water. This would be a match of wits, coordination, and strength.

Sheila decided to referee the match. "Each trainer in this match will use two Pokémon. The match will be over when both Pokémon on either side are unable to continue battling. The challenger is allowed to substitute Pokémon when necessary, but the gym leader is not. Battle begin!"

Pryce chose Dewgong as his first Pokémon and Emily chose Sylphid. Sylphid attacked first using Discharge. Dewgong got out of the pool and used the ice to slide around and avoid the electric shocks. Dewgong launched his Ice Beam at Sylphid. He tried to escape, but the icy field was too slippery and he ended up getting hit. The pressure of the cold ice and thinking about the pain on his back caused Sylphid to shudder. As his teeth chattered, electricity began to form in his mouth. Sylphid learned to use Thunder Fang. He uses his strength to get the ice off his back. Dewgong tried to attack using Aurora Beam, but Sylphid slid on the ice to dodge. Sylphid used the icy rocks to keep himself in direction as he was approaching Dewgong, but the sea lion dove into the pool to avoid getting hit. Sylphid dived into the water as well. Dewgong was about to attack with his Head Butt. With the horn on his forehead, Dewgong's attack can cause serious damage. But Sylphid was ready. He swam under Dewgong, gripped his tail in his teeth, and zapped him with Thunder Fang. Dewgong leapt out of the water, but Sylphid was still holding on to his tail. To finish him off, he attacked with Discharge. Dewgong was unable to continue battling.

Pryce called Dewgong back and sent his strongest and most trustworthy Pokémon into battle. It was a Mamoswine. A long time ago when it was a Piloswine, Pryce lost his friend to a tragedy that caused them to be separated for years. They were reunited again after a long time and after training and battling together for so long again, Piloswine evolved into Mamoswine. This was Pryce's strongest Pokémon. Emily knew this wasn't going to be easy, but Sylphid still had some fight in him. He charged in for a Quick Attack, but Mamoswine overpowered him with Blizzard. Obscured from Sylphid's vision, Mamoswine charged in and attacked head-on with a Take Down. Sylphid got slammed into the wall and was no longer able to battle. The bitter cold took its toll on him.

Emily chose Undine as her second Pokémon. She was the only one in the family who tolerate the cold better. She could also use the pool to her advantage the same way Dewgong did. Plus, Mamoswine was a ground-type as well as an ice-type, so Undine would also have the advantage. Pryce admired Emily's thinking and saw that she was a brilliant strategist and she also had a lot of respect and trust in her Pokémon. Unfortunately, Mamoswine's Blizzard froze the water solid, so there was no water for Undine.

Mamoswine tried to use Fury Attack, but Undine dodged it and landed perfectly on the ice without slipping. Mamoswine used Blizzard again, but Undine withstood the attack and saw Mamoswine through it. She tried to attack with Water Gun, but it turned into ice. Rather the Water Gun turned into Aurora Beam. It was because Undine was so adaptable to the cold that her water attack turned into an ice attack. It stormed through the Blizzard and struck Mamoswine. The Blizzard stopped, but Mamoswine was still standing. He didn't take a lot of damage from that Aurora Beam. He charged at Undine again, but she jumped on the icy rocks to avoid damage. As Mamoswine crashed into the icy rocks, he felt like he was getting a headache. Undine stopped and attacked Mamoswine from behind with her Water Gun.

To keep Mamoswine from falling in defeat, Pryce commanded him to use Rest and replenish his energy. Mamoswine quickly fell asleep in recovery. Undine tried to stop him by waking him up with her Water Gun, but Mamoswine quickly recovered and attacked her with his Fury Attack. She also got hit with a Take Down attack. Undine was still able to battle after taking that hit. She launched her Aurora Beam at Mamoswine to stop him from attacking and she also launched her Water Gun to attack him. Mamoswine charged at Undine again using Take Down, but she jumped and landed on his tusks and used Aurora Beam head-on. The ice over the pool also collapsed under Mamoswine's weight and he fell into the water. Undine used Aurora Beam once again with all of her might. After taking all that water and ice, Mamoswine no longer had the strength to continue battling. The match was over.

Pryce approached Emily and congratulated her. "Well done, Emily. Excellent job. This Glacier badge is yours. It's proof that you were victorious in our battle. The strategies and combo attacks you executed worked so well because you and your Pokémon are so close to one another."

"Thank you, Pryce," Emily said, accepting the Glacier badge with great appreciation. She and her Pokémon cheered in triumph for their victory.

There was one last gym badge for Emily to acquire so she could compete in the Johto league. The next stop was the gym in Blackthorn City.


	40. As Clear as Crystal

As Clear as Crystal

Emily received a call from Professor Oak in the Pallet Town. The boat arrived safely and now the rescued Eevee were living in the fields surrounding his laboratory. Mary and Adam showed up on the monitor and said 'hello' to Emily and their children. The building that had been condemned is now in the process of being remodeled and built into a sanctuary, but it'll still take a few weeks for it to be complete. Emily said it was all right. She and her friends would keep traveling through the Johto Region and Adam and Mary and the rescued Eevee would stay with Professor Oak under his care.

Usually, the last gym battle is the toughest, so the boys decided to prepare Emily with some training. Yugi challenged her first. He called on Togepi and asked her to watch the battle and learn. He would be battling with Tyrogue. Emily called on Undine to battle. Lumina would have the advantage, but Emily didn't want to be unfair. It wouldn't really be good training or teaching.

Undine made the first move by attacking with Water Gun. Tyrogue dodged and used Jump Kick on Undine. She got back on her feet and froze the field with her Aurora Beam. Tyrogue tried to keep his balance, but Undine knocked him down with her Water Gun. Tyrogue climbed up a tree and attacked with his Mach Punch. Undine had enough and conceded the battle. Tyrogue cheered for himself for his victory and began glowing. His limbs grew longer and his head became triangular like a top. He evolved into Hitmontop.

Togepi walked into the field. "Togepi, do you want a chance to battle?" Yugi asked her. She nods and gets in front of Yugi. Emily decides to battle with Luna. Togepi attacks with her Charm to make Luna lower her guard. Luna gently brushes Togepi with her tail to tickle her. Now that Luna's guard is down, Togepi can put her in a trance with her Sweet Kiss. Luna becomes confused and dazed like she's having a daydream. Togepi waves her fingers, which can only mean one thing: she's about to use Metronone. Emily pleads Luna to come back to her senses, but it's too late. The Metronome becomes Leaf Storm and Luna is knocked out. That was surprisingly impressive, but it always turns out that way when nothing is expected from the smallest things. With this kind of training, Togepi would grow up strong and healthy and ready to battle anything. And although Emily didn't win her battles this time, her Pokémon still gained some experience.

On the way to Blackthorn City, the heroes saw plenty of electric Pokémon climbing the hills. There was an Electabuzz, a Raichu, a Jolteon, a Voltorb, a Magnemite, and an Ampharos. They were curious to know where they were going, so the heroes followed the Pokémon. There was a lake in the middle of the mountain and the electric Pokémon were all swimming in it. Some of the electric Pokémon looked sick or tired and the water was healing them. But it wasn't the water that was nursing the electric Pokémon back to health. It was what was in the water that was doing it. In the middle of the lake was crystal that contained the power to restore the energy of the electric Pokémon that rested in the lake water. Centuries ago, a rain brought a great flood to these mountains and a temple collapsed and fell to the bottom of this lake. The ruins remained at the bottom of this lake with the crystal since then.

Joey and Emily decided to let their Pokémon rest in the lake too, so they called on Sylphid and Flaaffy. They went into the water and found it refreshing. Just then, the heroes heard a weak crowing sound coming their way. They faced the sky and saw a yellow bird coming down at the lake.

Joey was the first to recognize it. "Guys, look! It's Zapdos!" he cried.

His friends saw that he was right. They also notice that Zapdos was flying weakly. "It looks like it's hurt," said Kaiba.

Zapdos couldn't fly anymore and landed at the edge of the lake. Joey could sense that Kaiba was right and Zapdos was really weak. "Come on, let's get him into the water." And he and his friends carefully lift Zapdos and get him into the water.

Zapdos was slowly starting to feel better. He opened his eyes and faced the heroes. "Who are you," he weakly asked.

"It's all right," Joey said softly. "We're friends. We came to help you." He couldn't understand what Zapdos was saying, but he still reasoned with him by saying he and his friends meant no harm. "By the way, Zapdos, do you recognize us? A lot of legendary Pokémon like you have. We're the chosen warriors of Millennia."

Zapdos became more alert when he heard that. " _The_ chosen warriors of Millennia?" he echoed. He got out of the water and bowed before the heroes respectfully. "I am truly honored to be in your presence and I am also grateful to you for your help."

"What happened to you?" Emily wondered.

"I was having a practice battle with some of my friends," Zapdos explained. "I took it too far and got injured, so I came to this lake to get healed. But I never thought I would get to meet the four of you. You see, I heard that Millennia's chosen warriors have been traveling through these lands. I also heard of your battle against the Pokémon sovereign."

"Yes," Emily was saying. "We battled him for the Cobalt Star shard and won. We've been keeping it safe since then."

"Very good," said Zapdos. "The Pokémon sovereign is wise to put his trust in you. And though you have fulfilled your task, you are always welcome in this world as friends. And if you ever need assistance from me or my brethren, we will be there. We are but your humble servants, my princess."

"Thank you, Zapdos, but that's really not necessary," Emily insisted. "Please, let us be friends and nothing more or less."

Zapdos respects her request. "As you wish." He approaches Joey and gently nuzzles his face against him. "I admire you, young man. You are as loyal as you are determined; always helping your friends and all others in need. A fire burns deep in your soul and it is a special fire; one that can only be ignited by the storm of friendship. So as long as that storm rages inside of you, the lighting will continue to ignite the flames inside."

Joey couldn't understand what Zapdos was saying. For all he could assume, the bird of lightning was expressing gratitude. Joey smiled and petted Zapdos. The electric bird bids his friends goodbye and return to the skies.

"That was pretty cool," said Yugi. "A lot of legendary Pokémon have been coming before us."

"That's because they know who we are," said Kaiba.

"They want to help us in any way that they can if we need it," said Emily. "I told Zapdos they don't have to do that, but he insisted. But it's not because we're the chosen warriors of Millennia. It's because they trust us and they consider us their friends." She faces Joey and tells him, "He also complemented you, Joey, about your element."

"Yeah," Joey wondered. "What did he say?"

She smiles and replies, "As long as you stay true to your element, the storm of friendship will always ignite the flames that burn passionately inside of you."

"The storm of friendship will ignite the fire in my soul," Joey repeated. He liked that and agreed. He always had a thing for fire when he started out as a fighter, but he embraced the fact that lightning matched his element perfectly. Fire also seemed to be the perfect match for his second virtue renewal. He had a double header of elements to represent; fire for renewal and lightning for friendship.


	41. Dragon Masters from two Different Worlds

Dragon Masters from two Different Worlds

Emily looked at the map and saw that she and her friends were getting closer to Blackthorn City. She asked the boys to battle with her to get her Pokémon trained up for their last gym battle. They agreed to help her out and get their Pokémon trained up too. For each battle, opponents would use use two Pokémon.

Kaiba decided to be the first to battle with Emily. He called on Quilava as his first Pokémon. Emily chose Undine as her first Pokémon. This actually wasn't going to be easy for her. Kaiba had carefully trained Quilava to avoid all water-type attacks. Quilava made the first move by engulfing himself in his flames and using Flame Wheel. Undine tried to stop him with her Water Gun, but Quilava was going too fast. He charged into Undine and caused her to crash into a tree. Undine got back on her feet and froze the ground with her Aurora Beam. Quilava's flames melted the ice, but as it turned into water, the flames started to go out. Undine ran into Quilava using Quick Attack. Quilava used Swift to attack from afar. Undine tried to avoid the stars by rolling over in the dirt. She attacked with Water Gun again, but Quilava dodged it and attacked using Flamethrower. Undine got burned from the attack and couldn't stand on her feet anymore. Quilava finished her off with his Swift.

When the battle ended, Quilava began glowing. He was evolving into Typhlosion. Kaiba cheered and gave his Pokémon a high-five. Yugi carefully lifted Undine and carried her over to the tree he was sitting by. He gently set her down and began healing her burns and restoring her energy.

For the next battle, Emily called on Salamando. Kaiba withdrew Typhlosion and called on Onix. He wasn't going to make this battle easy for Emily. No, this was necessary for preparing her for her last gym battle. Salamando engulfed himself in his flames and attacked using Flare Blitz. Onix wrapped Salamando in his grip. After keeping a grip on him, Onix let go of Salamando and tossed him across the battlefield. Salamando got back up and launched his Flamethrower. Onix took the attack, but received no damage. He used Rock Throw and tossed stones at Salamando. He kept running around to avoid getting hit. Onix used his tail to trip Salamado up. After that, he dug a tunnel and burrowed underground. Feeling it in her heels, Emily warns Salamado to watch out. He runs to avoid getting hit, but as Onix emerges, he grabs Salamando with his mouth and uses Bite.

"That's enough!" Emily cried. "Salamando can't take this anymore!"

"Kaiba, stop!" Joey pleaded. "You're taking this too hard!"

Seeing this, Kaiba tells Onix to let Salamando go. Onix sets Salamando down. Kaiba approaches Salamando and rubs his back. "Salamando, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" In answer, Salamando whimpers and smiles weakly. Tears fill Kaiba's eyes. He lifts Salamando from the ground and gently hugs him. "I'm sorry," he said again. "I just wanted to help you get ready for your next battle. The last gym leader is stronger than the rest. I thought battling you with everything I had would help you. But instead, you and your sister got hurt because of me. I'm sorry."

Salamando winces once more. He uses his paw to dry Kaiba's tears. Undine approaches Kaiba as well. She places her front paws on his knees. "Undine and Salamando are saying they forgive you," Emily tells Kaiba. "I'm sorry too. I wasn't prepared for this either. I know your battle methods because I've seen them in action many times before. If I had known it was going to be this hard, I would have thought twice before battling you." She faces her Pokémon and apologizes to them. Salamando and Undine admit that they were overwhelmed by the strength of their opponents, but it did them some good. It gave them an idea of what they would be up against in their battle against the last gym leader.

This was enough excitement for now, so the group decided to press on to Blackthorn City. They finished passing through the forest and came to a lake. When they did, they saw a young woman with sky blue hair tied behind her. She also had an outfit like Kaiba's, except that it was black and her shoes were navy blue and her gloves were also dark. She came to the lake to train with her Pokémon. A Gyarados with a Mega Stone emerged from the lake and got the heroes wet.

The young woman saw this and approached the heroes. "Hey, are you all right?"

"We're okay," Emily insisted. "We just didn't see that coming."

She apologized once again and introduced herself as Clair. "I was just training with my Pokémon and I guess I didn't see you."

"It's all right," said Yugi. "My name is Yugi and these are my friends Joey, Emily, and Kaiba."

Clair's eyes widened. "Not Seto Kaiba," she asked wondrously.

"Guilty," the brunette replied.

Clair lowered herself and bowed respectfully. "It's an honor and a privilege to meet you." Clair had heard about Kaiba's reputation as a champion duelist, but she also remembered that Kaiba was a dragon duelist and Clair was a dragon-type Pokémon trainer. That was why she felt honored to be in his presence. She also happened to be the gym leader of Blackthorn City.

"Excuse me, Clair," Emily inquired. "I was wondering if I could face you in a gym battle?"

"We've been traveling though the Johto Region together," Yugi was telling her. "Emily just needs one more gym badge to qualify for the Johto league."

Clair was impressed to see the gym badges Emily acquired. She gladly accepted Emily's challenge. "It would be an honor to have a battle with a champion duelist who also happens to be a friend of a fellow dragon master."

"Dragon master," Joey echoed. Clearly she was talking about Kaiba. He was a dragon master in the Duel Monsters card game, but not when it came to Pokémon. It made no difference to Clair. She actually kept a collection of Duel Monster cards and they were all dragon-based. Kaiba pulled out his deck and showed her his cards; including his three Blue-Eyes White Dragons. Clair was even more impressed and amazed. All that she knew about Kaiba and his dueling deck was true. What would make this a great opportunity would be facing him in a game of Duel Monsters and a Pokémon battle. Kaiba agreed that it would be great to have a duel with Clair. However, he didn't have any dragon-type Pokémon. But Emily challenge Clair first, so he decided that it would be best to let them battle first.

There was something Clair had to do first. The was a sacred ritual she had to perform as the Blackthorn gym leader. She had to purify the Dragon Fang that had been passed down in her family for generations. "We ask the universe to bring peace and happiness to all dragons whether they be dragons of the earth, dragons of the sky, or dragons of the water." She cups the water from the lake into her hands and pours it over the Dragon Fang. After that, the Dragon Fang begins emanating a strong aura, taking on the form of a dragon and soaring all the way to the moon. It is said that the dragon force released becomes a star that will watch over all dragon Pokémon and bless all dragon masters.

The ritual was complete, but Clair wasn't ready to face Emily in a gym battle yet. She wanted to show her new friends to a very special place. "Come on," she told the heroes. "There's something I want you guys to see." Clair began leading her friends through the Dragon's Den. It was maze built by the dragon Pokémon to prevent intruders from entering the Dragon's Holy Land. Clair had gone there many times to train with her Pokémon and fellow dragon Pokémon trainers. She felt that a fellow dragon master deserved to see this special place. Kaiba was a fellow dragon master and the others were welcome because they were his friends.

When they came to the Dragon's Holy Land, it reminded the heroes of the time they first came to the Secret Garden. It truly was a beautiful place. "I've been training here for a long time, so all the Pokémon here are my friends," Clair explained.

"It's wonderful," said Emily.

"Feel free to look around, but be careful," Clair warned them. The Dragon's Holy Land contained a sacred shrine. Inside the shrine was the prayer flame. Centuries ago, when Pokémon considered humans their enemies, the shrine was built with the hope that they would one day live together in harmony. The flame has burned for five centuries since the shrine was built. Yugi, Joey, and Emily decided to explore the area.

Kaiba decided to hang around with Clair. "This is a really great place," he told her. "Thanks for bringing us here."

"It was nothing," Clair insisted.

Kaiba got an idea. "While we're here, do you want to have a duel?"

"I'd be honored," she replied. So they took out their decks, sat down, and decided to play a friendly game of Duel Monsters.

As they played, they decided to talk. "So tell me, Kaiba, what made you become so passionate about dragons?"

It was a long story, but he decided to explain. "Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be the best. I wanted to get strong not just for myself, but for my brother. You see, when we were young, our parents died and we've had to fend for each other since then. My brother has looked to me for strength and support all his life. Because of that, I refused to let heart and understanding get in my way. I thought that emotions would interfere with my trying to move ahead. But I loved games and treated every challenge as so. I would get stronger and become a brilliant strategist. When I started playing Duel Monsters, I saw how great the Dragons were and wanted them in my deck because it was like they had a part of me."

"I see," Clair said in acknolegement. "It's the same for Duel Monsters as it is for Pokémon. They represent our souls."

Kaiba nods in agreement. "Just as a trainer and their Pokémon are bound together by their trust in each other, a duelist and his monsters are bound together by the Heart of the Cards."

"Yugi said that all the time in his duels," Clair remembered. "What does that mean?"

"For a long time, I didn't understand either," Kaiba replied. "But as I continued to spend time with Yugi and duel with him, I began to learn what he meant. The cards in our decks represent our hearts and souls. But the monsters have their own souls as well."

Clair was confused. "What do you mean they have their own souls?"

To elaborate, Kaiba asks Clair, "Tell me, have you heard of the age of the Shadow Games?"

She had heard of the story. "According to the story, a great cataclysm brought the world on the brink of ruin, but the royal Egyptian family used their power to stop the dark forces from destroying the world. But it was too much for them. They sacrificed themselves and saved the world from destruction. After that, the world was never the same. The Shadow Creatures became no more and magic was lost." When Clair finished telling the story, Kaiba made his move and defeated her. He used his Blue-Eyes White Dragon to defeat her Spirit Ryu. Clair was impressed. He really was all that she heard about him.

"That's right," said Kaiba. "The truth is, the Shadow Creatures also contained the souls of the people they bonded with." He explains by using the Blue-Eyes White Dragon as an example. "This is my favorite card because we share a bond that goes back for centuries. You see, Clair, a long time ago, there was a young woman with blue eyes and white hair. Her name was Kisara. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon was the beast that dwelled in her soul. One day, she met a sorcerer who served the royal family and they fell in love. They were going to get married until a great tragedy tore them apart. To save the man she loved, Kisara gave up her power knowing it would also cost her her life."

"So the Blue-Eyes White Dragon contains Kisara's spirit?" Clair wondered.

Kaiba nods. "You should also know this: the sorcerer was my ancestor."

Clair's eyes widened. "That's… unbelievable. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying I don't believe you."

The brunette understood. "I know. I didn't believe it at first either. But the love my ancestor had for Kisara lives inside of me just like her spirit lives inside my favorite card. That's why the Blue-Eyes White Dragon is special to me. It's the same for Wheeler and his Red-Eyes Black Dragon. They're just like us."

"Wow," Clair said in awe. "I had no idea." She faces Kaiba and wonders, "Do you and Joey often think about those girls and wonder who they were?"

"All the time," Kaiba replied. "We think about them along with our favorite cards and we dream about them at night. Those girls became special to us after all that we've learned about them." Kaiba didn't want to stay on the subject for too long. "You know, Clair, I don't think I should be considered a dragon master. I don't even have any dragon-type Pokémon." But he remembered he had a Seadra and when it evolves into Kingdra, it becomes a dragon-type.

Clair got an idea. "Here, Kaiba. Take this." She holds out her hand and presents him with a Dragon Scale. "If you let your Seadra hold this, it will evolve into Kingdra."

Kaiba kindly accepted her offer. "Thanks, Clair."

She noticed that he was still looking a little upset. "Hey, are you okay?"

He sighs and says, "Earlier today, before we met up with you, I was helping Briar prepare for a battle with you by training her Pokémon. But I battled a little too fiercely. But I couldn't help it because that was my battle method and I was only trying to help my friend. But her Pokémon got hurt."

It was clear to Clair that Kaiba was a fierce battler. "You know, Kaiba, I was the same way when I was young. I thought power was everything. But training here and learning from my friends helped me realize I was wrong. Trust and consideration are more important."

"I know," said Kaiba. "Sometimes, it's not just about considering your own Pokémon's feelings. You also need to consider the well-being and safety of the people and Pokémon around you even if they're your opponents. Because before and after they're your opponents, they're your friends."

Clair nods in agreement. "You're very wise, Kaiba."

The brunette tried not to gloat that it was in his element. But he was willing to admit that it was because of the people around him. He got on his feet and decided, "We should get the others. I'll bet Briar's anxious to have a battle with you."

"Well, I did promise her a battle," Clair responded. Together, they find the others and return to the Blackthorn gym.


	42. Better Eight Than Never

Better Eight Than Never

The referee spoke up and announced, "The match between Emily the challenger and Clair the gym leader will now begin. Each trainer will use three Pokémon. The battle will be over when all three Pokémon on either side are unable to continue battling. Only the challenger will be permitted to substitute Pokémon."

"Are you ready for this, Emily?" Clair asked.

The blonde girl nodded. "You bet."

Clair tossed her Pokéball and called on Kingdra. Emily decided to start with Undine. Undine made the first move by launching her Water Gun. Kingdra evaded the attack with his Agility. After that, he attacked with Swift. But Undine was prepared. Battling with Quilava helped her learn to evade the stars. She jumped into the pool and began swimming. Kingdra launched his Hydro Pump, but Undine took the attack and used it to restore her energy. Kingdra launched his Hyper Beam, but Undine dove underwater to dodge the attack. She approached Kingdra and pulled him under and smacked him with her tail. Kingdra tried to hit Undine with his Swift, but she was swimming around too fast. They both came up to the surface. Kingdra was becoming exhausted and Undine wasn't even breaking a sweat. Kingdra launched another Hyper Beam, but Undine dove underwater again. She came back to the surface and launched her Aurora Beam. Kingdra was too worn out to dodge and the Aurora Beam was very effective against him. Kingdra fell back in defeat.

Clair called her Kingdra back and called on Gyarados. Emily decided to call Undine back and send Sylphid to take her place. Sylphid used his Discharge, but Gyarados countered with Dragon Breath. After that, Gyarados launched his Hyper Beam. Sylphid dodged by diving into the water. He swam over to Gyarados and gripped his tail in his teeth and began using Thunder Fang. Gyarados began thrashing around and managed to shake Sylphid off.

Clair was ready to make the battle more interesting. She placed her fingertips close to the Keystone in her bracelet. Gyarados' Mega Stone began reacting to the Keystone and he Mega Evolved. Gyarados attacked with Hyper Beam, but Sylphid got back in the water. Clair wasn't going to let the same trick work twice. Gyarados grabbed Sylphid in his mouth and tossed him aside. Sylphid tried to attack with Discharcge, but Gyarados countered with his Dragon Breath. If Sylphid couldn't attack Gyarados, he could attack the water. He used Discharge to electrify the water in the pool, but Gyarados leapt out of the water and avoided taking damage. He was about to use Bite on Sylphid, but he dodged and jumped on Gyarados and attacked with Thunder Fang. The effects of Mega Evolution wore off and Gyarados was back to his original state.

The match was looking good so far. Emily still had all of her Pokémon while Clair had only one Pokémon left. But this last Pokémon was going to be a surprise. It was Druddigon. Clair caught this Pokémon while she was on a jouney through the Decalor Islands. Druddigon was also a different color. Druddigon were normally red and blue, but this one was orange and green. It was also a full-fledged dragon Pokémon.

Emily knew that electric attacks weren't very effective against dragon-type Pokémon, but perhaps Sylphid could wear Druddigon out. But she had to decide carefully. Sylphid's battle with Gyarados was wearing him out. But he pulled himself together and said he could still fight. He made the first move by attacking with Discharge. Druddigon took the attacks without receiving much damage. Sylphid tried to attack him head-on with a Quick Attack, but Druddigon dodged and used Hyper Beam. Because Sylphid was at a close range, it was impossible for him to dodge. The Hyper Beam landed a direct hit and knocked Sylphid out.

Emily sent Undine back into battle. She tried to attack with her Aurora Beam, but Druddigon dodged the attack. Although he couldn't fly and his body was sturdy, Clair had been training Druddigon carefully enough to make him avoid most enemy attacks. Druddigon attacked with his Dragon Claw. After that, he launched his Dragon Breath. Undine dove underwater to avoid getting hit. She swam towards Druddigon so he would be at a close range for a direct attack, but Druddigon saw her coming and used Dragon Breath. The effect of the attack paralyzed Undine and she had a hard time moving around. She was too immobile to try to attack even from afar. Druddigon finished her off with his Hyper Beam. Undine came to the surface like a dead goldfish. She was no longer able to battle.

Emily decided to use Lumina as her last Pokémon. Druddigon made the first move by attacking with Dragon Breath. Lumina took the attack, but ended up getting paralyzed. But her special ability caused Druddigon to be paralyzed as well. Lumina attacked with Swift, but Druddigon knocked the stars back with his Dragon Claw. The attacks kept going on until the paralysis kicked in for Druddigon. Lumina gathered her strength and attacked with Confusion. Druddigon became confused from that attack. Now he was too dazed and too immobile to attack. Lumina took this chance and attacked with Psychic. Druddigon couldn't take any more and fell in defeat.

Clair approached Emily and congratulated her. "Well, Emily, that was a battle I'll never forget." She holds out her hand and presents her with the Rising badge as proof of her victory. Emily takes the badge and cheers in triumph with her Pokémon.

None of the boys could believe it. Their friend had finally won eight gym badges and was finally able to qualify for the Johto league. Officially, it was known as the Silver Conference. Clair notified the heroes that the Silver Conference would take place three months from now in Silver Town at the foot of Mt. Silver. This gave Emily plenty of time to train her Pokémon. Clair also told Emily that she could register for the Silver Conference by returning to New Bark Town where she first registered as a trainer. So it was decided that the heroes would return to New Bark Town. Clair wished Emily the best of luck and shook her hand. "It was a great pleasure meeting you."

Kaiba returned the gesture. "Thanks for a great time, Clair. Hanging out with you was one of the best times I had on this journey." He blushed and said sheepishly, "Someday, I hope I can make you feel welcome in my world as you've made me in yours."

Clair didn't understand what he was talking about, but she accepted his kindness all the same. "Sure. And who knows? Maybe we could play Duel Monsters again. And when you've acquired more dragon Pokémon, maybe you and I could have a battle too?"

Kaiba nods and says, "I'd be honored, Clair. We dragon masters have a lot to learn from each other. It'd be great to hang out with you again. Until then, take care." He shakes her hand and kisses her cheek. A red hue stretches across Clair's face. She giggles and places her palm against her cheek.

She clears her throat and says, "Now then, if you follow this road, it'll take you across the sea. You can catch a ferry that will take you to New Bark Town in a day."

"Okay," said Emily. "Thanks again, Clair. I hope to see you again."

"Don't worry, we will," Clair promises her. "Good luck in the Silver Conference," she said again. After saying their goodbyes, the heroes begin their journey back to New Bark Town.


	43. Practice Makes Perfect

Practice Makes Perfect

When they returned to New Bark Town, Emily and her friends went to the Pokémon Center. After verifying her credentials and gym badges, Emily was now qualified to enter the Silver Conference. The next stop was Silver Town on Mt. Silver.

Although the Silver Conference was several weeks away, Emily had plenty of time to get her Pokémon warmed up with some special training. So before heading to Mt. Silver, she decided to have a few Pokémon battles with her friends. The first match would be against her and Joey. The blonde lad tossed his Pokéball and called on Feraligatr. Emily called on Sylphid as her first Pokémon. Feraligatr ran up to Sylphid and tried to attack with Slash, but Sylphid was too fast and dodged the attack. He bit down on Feraligatr's tail and attacked with Thunder Fang. Feraligatr turned around and bit Syplhid back using Crunch. Sylphid attacked with Discharge and landed a direct hit.

Joey called Feraligatr back and called on Phanpy. Sylphid's electric attacks wouldn't work against Phanpy because he was a ground-type Pokémon, but he could still rely on his speed. Phanpy used Rollout and tried to keep up with Sylphid, but the electric Pokémon was too fast. But Phanpy was picking up speed and managed to land a hit on Sylphid. Phanpy also began kicking up sand in Sylphid's face. As Sylphid was trying to rub the sand from his eyes, Phanpy used Take Down and pushed him against a tree.

Emily called Sylphid back and sent Undine into battle. Joey withdrew Phanpy and sent Flaaffy to take his place. Undine made the first move by attacking with Water Pulse. Not only did Flaaffy get soaked, but she also got confused. Undine launched her Aurora Beam at Flaaffy and froze her lower body to the ground. Joey kept calling out to Flaaffy. She came to her senses and as she saw Undine coming, she used Thunder Punch to knock her away. And when Flaaffy used Thunder Shock, not only did she break free from the ice, but she also defeated Undine. As if that wasn't enough, Flaaffy began glowing. She was evolving into Ampharos. Joey laughed and cheered as he ran up to Ampharos and hugged her.

Emily called Undine back into her Pokéball. "Thanks, guys. Have a good rest." She turns her attention to Joey and congratulates him. "That's two out of three victories, Joey. Way to go. And congratualtions to you too, Ampharos."

In answer, the yellow Pokémon bleats. Joey thanks Emily as well. Then he gets an idea. "Now that you're an Ampharos, I can give you this." He shows her a gauntlet containing the Mega Stone that will allow her to Mega Evolve and secures it around her arm. Joey started to become excited. "This is so cool. Now you can Mega Evolve. Come on, let's try it out." He was about to touch his Keystone, but Kaiba grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"Don't be stupid," he scolded. "You know it doesn't work that way."

Yugi agreed. "You need to be patient, Joey. It's true that you've got the Keystone and Ampharos has a Mega Stone, but it may not be enough."

Emily nods and says, "Joey, what if you hastily tap into the power of Mega Evolution and something bad happens? Did you think about that?"

Joey relaxed himself. "I didn't think of that at all."

"Ampharos doesn't know her own strength yet," continued Yugi. "She just evolved. Let her get used to being an Ampharos before you think about tapping into the power of Mega Evolution. And remember, your hearts must connect in order for the true power of Mega Evolution to be released."

Joey remembered and he removed his hand from his wrist. He also began thinking about what he could do to decide whether or not he was one with his Pokémon and if their hearts were connected. He's taken good care of his Pokémon. He's remembered to play with them and teach them as well as train them to get stronger. They've worked together to achieve their goals. Since Joey became a Pokémon trainer, he's been doing his best to make sure his Pokémon would be happy and healthy. And in times when Joey was sad or upset, his Pokémon were there to listen and try to make him feel better. Joey was close with his Pokémon, but only time would tell if it would determine the weight of their bond. It would also determine if Ampharos would be able to Mega Evolve.

Emily was ready for another Pokémon battle. This time, her opponent would be Kaiba. "I know our last battle didn't go very well, but this time, I'm ready," Emily promised.

"Before we begin, I have some words of advice," the brunette tells her. "I know this is practice and special training, but don't hold back. The trainers at the Silver Conference are going to fight with everything they have. I want you to do that in our battle. Don't hold back because I won't."

The blonde girl agreed to his terms. "All right. Let's go." For her first Pokémon, she chooses Shade. Kaiba calls on Zubat as his first Pokémon. Zubat makes the first move by attacking with Supersonic. Shade becomes dazed and confused. Unfortunately, his special ability didn't work against the status of confusion. Zubat dives down and uses Wing Attack, but before he can land a hit, Shade strikes first. He had learned to use the move Sucker Punch. He leaps in the air and tries to attack with Bite, but Zubat is too far to reach. He comes down again and latches his teeth in his back and begins to use Leech Life. Zubat attacks with Wing Attack again and Shade is knocked out. After the battle, Zubat begins glowing. He grows larger and has eyes now. He was now a Golbat.

Emily withdrew Shade and called on Salamando. Kaiba called on Onix. Salamando and Onix battled each other before and hoped that things would end differently this time. Their trainers hoped so too. Salamando engulfed himself in his flames and used Flare Blitz. Onix dug a tunnel and burrowed underground. Feeling it in her heels, Emily guides Salamando away from Onix. As Onix emerges from the ground, he sees that Salamando is nowhere in sight. Salamando comes up from behind Onix and attacks with Flamethrower. Onix turns around and tries to grab Salamando in his mouth, but Salamando launches his flames into his mouth. With a burnt mouth, Onix begins thrashing around in pain. Salamando uses Flare Blitz again and knocks Onix down. Onix pulls himself together and attacks with Rock Throw. To avoid getting crushed by the rocks, Salamando hides in the tunnel Onix dug. Onix slams his tail against the ground to make it shake, forcing Salamando to come out. Onix coils himself around Salamando and keeps a tight grip on him. Emily pleads for Salamando to open his eyes. But he doesn't want to because he's scared of what's happening. She continues pleading for Salamando to open his eyes. Finally, he does so and launches his Flamethrower at Onix. The rock snake loosens his grip and Salamando breaks free. He engulfs himself in his flames again and defeats Onix with Flare Blitz.

Kaiba was impressed. "Well done," he told Emily. "I knew you could do it this time; you and Salamando."

Emily appreciated what Kaiba was telling her. "Thanks, Kaiba. I owe it to you for not giving up on me. You pushed us to fight with everything we had no matter what obstacles there would be."

The brunette nods in agreement. "You kept calm and your Pokémon were able to also. Because of that, you were able to adapt and so were your Pokémon. Despite the trouble Salamado was in, you found a way to get him out of it and turn the match around." He places his hand on Emily's shoulder and rubs it. He also gets down and pets Salamando.

To show her appreciation, Emily presents Kaiba with a small object. He takes it and asks, "What's this?"

"It's a Metal Coat," she answers. "I found it on Silver Rock Isle as I was looking for interesting things to collect and carry. If you let your Onix hold it, he'll evolve into Steelix. But that's only if you want him to. I don't want you to make him evolve because I gave it to you."

Kaiba appreciates her kindness and takes the Metal Coat. "Thanks. I'll give it some thought." He places it in his bag to keep it safe.

After all this excitement, Emily decided to return to the Pokémon Center and let her team rest up and recover. Afterwards, the team would head out to Mt. Silver.


	44. Entei at Your Own Risk

Entei at Your Own Risk

It had been four days since the team left New Bark Town, but Mt. Silver was still a long way away. The heroes came to a hot spring and decided to rest there for the afternoon. After traveling and training for so long, the heroes and their Pokémon needed a little vacation time. Even the sand was warm and refreshing enough for the rock and ground Pokémon to enjoy. Kaiba let Onix, Typhlosion, Houndoom, and Pupitar out to take sand baths and he also let Seadra out to enjoy the water. Joey's water Pokémon loved the water as well. Of course, Undine couldn't resist the water and wanted to go swimming. Salamando joined his friends in taking a sand bath. Shade and Sylphid were playing around as they were wrestling. Lumina was relaxing in the water to ease her nerves and soothe her complexion. Luna was giving Togepi rides on her back. The rest of the Pokémon were exercising and playing with the heroes.

Kaiba was tending to his Pokémon as they were taking sand baths. He got the dirt off of Houndoom and Quilava and sent them into the water to wash off and get refreshed. After getting Onix cleaned up and coated with sand, Kaiba saw that he was looking very well. He reached into his backpack and showed him the Metal Coat. "Briar gave this to me as a present," Kaiba was saying. "She said if I let you hold it, then you'll be able to evolve. Evolution can seem like a great thing at first, but only at its own pace. If you don't want to evolve, I won't force you to, Onix. Or if you're not ready, we can wait. But I want it to be your decision. I may be your trainer, but it will only happen to you. And don't worry, whatever you decide, I'll respect it."

Onix wanted to live up to Kaiba's expectations of him, but he also wanted to consider his own happiness. And Onix decided that seeing his trainer happy would make him happy too. They had been training together for a long time and had been through a lot together. Onix made up his mind and touched the Metal Coat and began glowing. He was evolving into Steelix.

Kaiba smiled at his Pokémon. "You really wanted this, didn't you?" In answer, Steelix softly growls. He tries to smile, but ends up just showing his teeth. As long as the both of them were happy, then that was what mattered most.

Suddenly, everyone heard roaring. They all look around wondering where it came from. Kaiba leaves the sand pit and his friends get out of the water. When they regroup, they see a great brown dog with braces over its paws and a yellow and red star-like pattern on its face. It was Entei, another one of the noble dogs.

Kaiba's eyes widened. "Can it be? The legendary Pokémon Entei?"

"It is," said Emily.

Entei slowly approaches the heroes. He lowers himself and bows in respect. "It is true, what my brethren have been saying. The chosen warriors of Millennia are traveling through these lands."

Emily nods and cautiously approaches Entei. "It's an honor to meet you, Entei."

Entei returned the gesture. "I heard you safely coveted the Cobalt Star shard and subdued the Dark Lord's evil. We are eternally grateful."

Emily was confused. "What do you mean subdued?"

"Our sovereign has guarded and protected the Cobalt Star shard for many lifetimes, my princess," Entei explained. "Humans and Pokémon who have heard about it have gone through terrible tragedies trying to find it and claim it for themselves. There was great violence between different nations of people and different species of Pokémon. Our ancestors knew of this and have helped keep the shard safely hidden while awaiting the arrival of the chosen warriors of Millennia. We hoped our servitude would repay the kindess and courage of the Children of Millennia who prevailed in the Shadow Games. Yet you and your friends would serve us more than we you by claiming the Cobalt Star shard from our sovereign. The evil emanated from the Cobalt Star shard has been subdued since you claimed it. Take it home to your world and it will leave our world."

Emily was starting to understand. "Of course. Claiming the Cobalt Star doesn't remove the evil presence emanating from it. It contains it. But what will happen when all the Cobalt Star shards are gathered?"

"That is something not even I or my brethren or even the sovereign know," Entei answered. "I will say this: we believe there may come a time when the Battle of the Gods will begin. When it does, you have our word that we will serve you with great honor as our ancestors did for yours."

"Even though we're worlds apart?" Emily wondered.

Entei nods and says, "Divided, yet untied. For that matter, our worlds will share the same influences. We were once a part of one world. So whatever influence the Gods will inflict on one world, another world will be affected in the same way."

The blonde girl clears her throat. "Well, thank you, Entei. We'll keep all of this in mind as we look for the rest of the Cobalt Star shards."

"Very well," said Entei. "You have my best wishes." He turns away and says, "I must bid you good day, Heroes of Millennia." After turning his back, he leaps away into the mountains.

Yugi noticed that Kaiba looked a little disappointed. "Are you okay, Kaiba?"

The brunette shrugged. "I know Entei just came to grace us with his presence, but I wanted the chance to challenge him to a battle."

Joey scoffed. "Yeah, like he'd give you that chance. Entei wouldn't give you chance to battle him, let alone try to capture him with a Pokéball."

Kaiba knew, but figured it would be great to have a partner like Entei. But it wouldn't be like the warriors of Millennia to want to battle a legendary Pokémon for the chance to capture them. The legendary Pokémon knew the warriors of Millennia like that. They only battled to train together and learn from each other. That was why they took Queen Mystery as their student centuries ago. They taught her everything she knew about battling honorably and she treated them equally as comrades and as family. She also treated them with great respect as free and wild beasts. So it was only right and fair that the new warriors of Millennia would have that same respect. Kaiba explained that to his friends and they agreed. Though the legendary Pokémon promised the warriors of Millennia that they would serve them, the heroes had to return the gesture. Just as the legendary Pokémon had respect for Yugi and his friends for being descendants of the Children of Millennia, Yugi and his friends had to have respect for the legendary Pokémon for being free and wild. So they agreed not to battle any legendary Pokémon for the chance to capture them.


	45. A Claim to Flame

A Claim to Flame

After weeks of traveling, the heroes finally made it to Silver Town and were within reach of Mt. Silver. They came to the front gate of a shrine and saw a crowd. The heroes found out that it would soon be time to announce the start of the Silver Conference by lighting the torch. The legend behind the shrine was that a fierce battle broke out between humans and Pokémon and the land was laid to waste when the greenery was destroyed and the lake dried up. Ho-Oh appeared and destroyed the weapons carried by the soldiers with her Sacred Fire. The land was turned into a wasteland, but from the ashes of Ho-Oh's flame, the earth was rejuvenated. People and Pokémon who witnessed this miracle agreed to stop fighting and set their differences aside as they would work together and restore peace. A small amount of Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire was still burning and was taken from the forest and preserved in the shrine known as the Ho-Oh Shrine. And today, runners would be carrying the Sacred Fire all the way to Silver Town to announce the start of the Johto league Silver Conference.

There was still time for the Silver Conference to begin, so the heroes spent the remainder of the time in Silver Town helping Emily prepare for one of the biggest events in the world of Pokémon. Emily spent a lot of her time looking through the guidebook to learn about the rules and battle methods.

"You finally made it," said a familiar voice. Emily and the boys turned and saw their old friend Max. "I was beginning to worry you weren't coming."

Emily and the boys were more than shocked. "Max? You're here?"

"Since when did you become a Pokémon trainer?" Joey asked.

"More importantly," Kaiba was saying, "how did you get here?"

Max wiped her brow and explained, "I followed you into the Secret Garden and began my own Pokémon jouney."

Yugi saw a black bracelet around Max's wrist and noticed it contained a Keystone. "That's a Keystone," he cried. "How did you get one?"

"The same way you guys got yours," she replied. "The Dark Lord gave it to me and said it would help me on my journey."

Emily suddenly remembered. She reached into her bag and pulled out the chest containing the Cobalt Star shard. "I have to give you this."

Curious, Max opened the case. When she did, the shard glowed and attached itself to the shard hanging from around her neck. "I can't believe you found it. I've been looking all over for this since I got here."

Joey chuckled and said, "It's a pretty long story."

"Well, we have plenty of time," said Max. "Although, I really would like to train for the Silver Conference."

"I understand," said Emily. It was no surprise that Max would also want to have fun on her journey and compete in the Pokémon league. "Maybe we could battle each other."

Max smiled and said, "That's something I'm looking forward to." And the girls shook hands and wished each other the best.

"I wonder what kind of Pokémon Max acquired on her journey," Joey wondered.

Emily sighed and and said, "We'll find out in the Silver Conference."

The heroes headed to the suite where challegers for the Silver Conference would be staying. The room provided a view of the lake and there was a computer on the desk where challengers could look at the database of all competitors and their Pokémon.

It was time for the preliminaries to begin. Trainers had to win at least three matches to proceed. Whoever comes out victorious can advance to the chosen forty-eight. Emily was going to be facing a dark-haired girl named Sylvia. Emily was permitted to make the first call. She tossed her Pokéball and called on Luna. Sylvia chose Misdreavus. Luna made the first move by attacking with Swift. Misdreavus took evasive action by using Double Team. After that, Misdreavus attacked with Psybeam. Luna got back on her feet and launched her Shadow Ball attack. Misdreavus dodged and used Head Butt. Misdreavus was about to attack again, but Luna jumped and attacked with Bite. After that, the match was over and Misdreavus was no longer able to battle.

The battles were actually pretty easy for Emily. She won two more matches by defeating a Hitmontop and a Sunflora. When she and her friends returned to the Pokémon Center to chek the results, they saw Max again. Both girls were qualified to participate in the semi-finals.

It was now the middle of the night, but Emily couldn't sleep. She knew the semi-finals started tomorrow after the opening ceremony, but she was too excited. She left the suite and began taking a walk along the lake with her Pokémon. As they were walking and thinking about tomorrow, they noticed Max standing near the lake as well.

Max noticed them as well. "I suppose you couldn't sleep either. You must have a lot on your mind."

"Nothing gets past you," said Emily.

Max moved aside. "Here, sit."

The blonde accepted the offer. So they sat down together and shared their stories of their Pokémon adventures. Max had actually met with some of the legendary Pokémon too. They didn't fear her for being a servant to the Dark Lord. They had as much respect for her as they did for the warriors of Millennia because they remembered that the previous guardian of the Cobalt Star was a friend to the royal Egyptian family. She also learned some important things about the past and the Gods.

Emily reached into her bag and pulled out another case. "I thought of you when we were on the Whirl Islands and I bought this for you."

Max takes the case and sees that it has a silver wing. "I have something for you too." She reaches inside her own bag and presents Emily with a case. The blonde opens the case and sees a rainbow wing. It was a charm that looked like one of Ho-Oh's wings. Just as Emily remembered that Max like silver, Max remembered that Emily liked rainbows and she was also known as the rainbow duelist back home.

"Emily," Max was saying, "it's good to see you and the boys again."

The blonde returned the gesture. "I've been thinking about you a lot since we came to this world. I had a feeling you would be coveting the Cobalt Star shards too and would find a way to the other worlds."

"Tell me something," Max was wondering, "is that really why you're here?"

Emily was silent for a moment, then replied, "You know, I've been asking myself the same question. Because to say I'm doing this because the Great Goddess sent me on a mission would be a lie. The real reason I wanted to come to this world is because…"

Max told Emily she didn't have to answer. "It's okay. I understand. Your ideals are separate from Millennia's wishes. You have your own personal thoughts to consider."

Emily tightened her eyes. "You read my mind and saw my ideals again, didn't you?"

Max softly chuckled. "Hey, I'm not trying to judge you." She stands up and says, "But you know, if we didn't come here because of the Gods, but because we wanted to see the world, what if we ended up in two different places? We were sent to this region because it was where the Cobalt Star shard was. But what if we got to choose which part of the world we wanted to end up in?"

The blonde faces the sky and replies, "I never thought of that."

"Well, it's true," said Max. "And think about all the wonder and possibilities that await us in the other worlds. It's exciting. And it will also influence us in many ways good and bad."

"That's true," said Emily. "We were great people back home and we're great people in this world too. But it's not because of who knows us, but because of what we became. You and me and the rest of our friends became great Pokémon trainers and everyone will know our stories."

Max nods and says, "Listen, you may have beaten me in Duel Monsters, but a Pokémon battle is a whole new game. This time, if we should face each other in a battle, know that I plan to win."

The blonde admired her determination. "So do I. Even if we are friends, I'm gonna give it all I've got."

"That's exactly what I'm hoping for," said Max. The girls shake hands and return to the suite.

The next day, everyone headed to Silver Stadium to witness the opening of the Silver Conference. The Sacred Fire from the Ho-Oh Shrine was being carried to the Stadium by the torch runner. The flame was lit in the center of the Stadium, announcing the commencement of the Silver Conference.

The heroes decided to kick things off in their own way with a song. Yugi was the first to start singing. _There's no time to question my moves_

 _I stick to the path that I choose_

 _Me and my friends are gonna do it right_

 _You'll never see us run away from a fight_

 _To be a master is my dream_

 _All I've got to do is believe_

 _I believe_ , Joey vocalized.

Emily took her turn and sang, _I've got a chance to win_

 _I'm on my way to victory_

 _I can be a champion if I just believe_

Kaiba joined in by singing, _I'm on a master quest_

 _I want the whole world to see_

Joey finished up by singing, _I'm gonna be the very best_

' _Cause all I've got to do is believe in me. Pokémon!_


	46. The Silver Conference

The Silver Conference

The chart for who would be facing whom in the semi-finals was on display. Challengers would be placed in groups of three and whoever got the most wins in the group would advance to the selected sixteen. Emily was going to be placed in division E in stadium C where she would be facing Ethan and Billie.

Emily left the stadium and met Ethan at the front door. They weren't scheduled to battle until tomorrow afternoon, but Ethan wanted a practice match to see what Emily was capable of. But Emily wouldn't battle. The security guards said that there was to be no outside competition of any kind. Ethan didn't mind and instead asked Emily if she wanted to join him for lunch. Apparantly, Yugi didn't take kindly to the matter that Ethan was trying to flirt with Emily and tried telling him to back off. To avoid causing any trouble, Joey took Yugi by the hand and took him back to the suite.

Emily returned as well and began analyzing Ethan and Billie's Pokémon so she would have an idea on what she would be up against. Most of Ethan's Pokémon were poison-types and Billie seemed to have a party of various types like Emily did.

It was time for Emily and Ethan to have their first match. Ethan was permitted to make the first call, so he chose Muk. Emily called on Lumina to start things off. Muk made the first move by attacking with Sludge. Lumina dodged and used Swift. Muk raised his defenses by using Harden. He tried to attack with Sludge Bomb, but Lumina dodged with ease and defeated him with her Psychic attack. To everyone's surprise, Ethan's next Pokémon was not a poison-type, but a bug-type called Pinsir. Emily withdrew Lumina and called on Salamando. Ethan became nervous and decided to substitute Venomoth for Pinsir. Venomoth flapped her wings and began releasing toxic spores. Salamando engulfed himself in his flames and attacked with Flare Blitz. The spores still ended up poisoning Salamando. Venomoth tried to use Supersonic, but Salamando dodged and used Flamethrower.

Venomoth was down, but Salamando was still poisoned. Not to mention Flare Blitz caused recoil damage. Ethan sent Pinsir back into battle and tapped into the power of his Keystone. Pinsir had gained a pair of wings as he Mega Evolved. Salamando attacked with Flamethrower, but Pinsir dodged and caught him in his horns. Salamando tried to attack with Flamethrower, but the thorns in the horns put him in a lot of pain. Pinsir let him go and tossed him to the ground. The poisoning took what was left of Salamando's strength.

Emily tossed her Pokéball and called on Sylphid. She was going to have to match speed for speed. Sylphid used Discharge and paralyzed Pinsir as he attacked him. Pinsir tried to fight back and attack with Submission, but Sylphid dodged and attacked with Thunder Fang. The effects of Mega Evolution wore off and the battle was over.

The result of the match earned Emily three points for her victory. Ethan's loss didn't earn him any points. Depending how their matches with Billie would go would decide the status of their ranks. If Ethan would defeat Billie, he would earn three points too. Or if their match would result in a draw, both challengers would earn one point.

It was anyone's game based on how the battle was going. Ethan and Billie each had one Pokémon left. It was now down to Ethan's Muk against Billie's Dugtrio. Dugtrio was worn out after battling Venomoth and Arbok, so Muk was able to beat Dugtrio with ease. Now Ethan and Emily were tied with three points.

Billie returned to the Pokémon Center to get her Pokémon's strength restored. She and Emily wouldn't be battling until the next few hours, so there was time for the girls to prepare for the match. Outside, Salamando and Sylphid were exercising. They saw a tasty apple in the tree and decided to share it. Salamando used his fire to burn the stem from the branch and Sylphid used his electricity to split the apple. Now both brothers had half. There were two other Pokémon; a Typhlosion and an Ampharos with a Mega Stone. The brothers saw them and asked them if they wanted to share. Typhlosion and Ampharos accepted their kindness and happily ate the split apple.

"Excuse me," Sylphid inquired, "but couldn't you save some for us?"

Salamando agreed. "Don't we get a share too?"

Typhlosion sneered. "I'm sorry, but when you said you wanted to share with us, we thought it was for us."

Ampharos laughed. "You should have said something. If you had, we wouldn't have eaten it."

Sylphid growled, but Salamando told him to let it go. "We'll just get another one."

Soon, Ampharos and Typhlosion started making fun of Salamando and Sylphid for being so small. The brothers didn't appreciate being bullied around and started fighting with Typhlosion and Ampharos. The fighting caused a commotion. Emily saw what was happening and tried to get the boys to stop fighting. It also turned out that Typhlosion and Ampharos belonged to Billie and she tried to get them to break it up too. The Pokémon listened to the girls and decided to settle things at this afternoon's battle.

Billie was permited to make the first move. She chose Ampharos as her first Pokémon. Emily decided to choose Sylphid as her first Pokémon. Ampharos and Sylphid still had a score to settle, but they decided to get the match over with first. Billie tapped into the power of her Keystone, allowing Ampharos to Mega Evolve. Ampharos made the first move by attacking with Power Gem, but Sylphid dodged and used Quick Attack. Ampharos sent him flying with Thunder Punch. Sylphid took no damage, but got his strength restored thanks to his special ability. Ampharos used Iron Tail and landed a direct hit on Sylphid. Sylphid caught Ampharos' tail in his teeth and attacked with Thunder Fang. Ampharos returned to her original state and fell in defeat.

Billie called Ampharos back and chose Graveler as her next Pokémon. Normally, Graveler are light brown, but this Graveler was dark brown like nutmeg. Sylphid tried to attack with Discharge, but Graveler withstood the attack and attacked with Earthquake. Sylphid tried to attack with Quick Attack, but Graveler finished him off with Magnitude.

Emily chose Undine as her next Pokémon. Graveler used Rock Throw, but Undine dodged the rocks and froze the field with her Aurora Beam. Graveler's feet were stuck in the ice, but he freed himself by using Earthquake. But while he was occupied, Undine attacked with Water Pulse. Graveler was no longer able to battle.

Billie's last Pokémon was Typhlosion. Emily and Undine had to be careful. Typhlosion were very swift. Undine heard about how this Typhlosion was being a bully to her younger brothers and she was going to teach him a lesson. Being a male, Typhlosion knew not to hurt girls, but that didn't mean he was going to go easy on Undine. Gathering her strength to make it the strongest Water Gun she can, Undine shoots a spray of water like a cannon. She learned to used Hydro Pump. Typhlosion got drenched, but he pulled himself together and attacked with Flamethrower. Undine tried to counter with Water Gun, but the collision of the attacks created a cloud of steam. Typhlosion broke through and knocked Undine out with his Flame Wheel.

Emily was down to her last Pokémon. She chose Salamando. He and Typhlosion had a score to settle and they were ready to settle things between them. Salamando engulfed himself in his flames and attacked with Flare Blitz. Typhlosion charged as well with Flame Wheel. They both got knocked back. Typhlosion was worn out after battling with Undine, but all the firepower was raising Salamando's attack strength. Typhlosion attacked with Swift, but Salamando intercepted with Flamethrower. He leaped on Typhlosion and bit down on his arm with Fire Fang. Typhlosion shook him off and tossed him across the field. Salamando and Typhlosion kept going at each other without taking a chance to dodge any attacks. They were fighting for their pride as fire Pokémon.

After going tirelessly at each other, the two hot-headed fire Pokémon were weakly standing on their feet panting from exhaustion. Typhlosion grinned at Salamando and said weakly, "You got guts, kid. Not bad."

Salamando returned the gesture. "You're not so bad yourself." Having settled their differences, they both fall in defeat. They finally had respect for each other.

The results were tallied with Billie having one point, Ethan having three points, and Emily coming out on top with four points. She would be advancing to the next round. To everyone's surprise, Max and Emily were going to battle each other in their next battle.

"So it's finally come to this," said Max. "I hope you're ready."

"We knew we'd have to face each other sooner or later," said Emily. "There's no better time than the time our match was arranged."


	47. Rivals in the Game, Friends for Life

Rivals in the Game, Friends for Life

In every game that Max and Emily played together, the girls always had friendly competitions, but would give it their all in proving who was the best. But for every game, they would remember to be good sports and stay friends. With grace and dignity, Emily admitted that Max was the toughest opponent she ever had in her life. But it was also what made her a true friend. Max gave her all in every challenge to push Emily to be her best. The blonde struggled, but kept it together and always managed to find a way. Emily also admitted that she would never find her strength without Max's help. She also wondered if she ever helped Max in the same way.

Looking through the database, Emily saw that Max had a good variety of Pokémon of different types like she did. But they were all strong Pokémon of high levels and most of them were also capable of Mega Evolution.

Today was the day of destiny. Max and Emily were going to face each other. They had Pokémon battles before with the video games, but this was reality. Things would be very much different. Both challengers would battle with a full party of six Pokémon and the battlefield would chosen by random. The battlefield would be earth-based with rocky terrains.

Max was permitted to make the first call. She chose Sudowoodo as her first Pokémon. Emily carefully analyzed the battlefield and her opponent's Pokémon. She chose Sylphid as her first Pokémon. Sudowoodo made the first move by using Hammer Arm against the ground, making it shake. Sylphid kept leaping from one boulder to another. As he was coming in on Sudowoodo, he was getting ready to use Double Kick. Sudowoodo grabbed Sylphid by his hind legs and slammed him against the ground. With that one attack, Sylphid was down for the count.

Emily was just going to have to go for a type advantage. She tossed her Pokéball and called Undine into battle. Max called Sudowoodo back and chose Jolteon. Jolteon attacked with Discharge, but Undine took cover behind the stones. With the protecton provided by the stones, Undine cautiously made her way towards Jolteon and attacked with Aurora Beam. Jolteon gets hit, but he surrounds himself with electricity as he uses Discharge and lands a direct hit on Undine. She took a lot of damage from that close range attack, but she got back on her feet. Jolteon got on the rocks and attacked with Thunder. It was an electric Pokémon's most powerful attack, but only when it landed a hit successfully. Undine escaped the attack and used Water Pulse. Being covered in water, Jolteon ended up zapping himself. He also became confused. Undine took this chance and attacked with Hydro Pump. The pressure of the attack hosed Jolteon down against the rocks and knocked him out.

Max was impressed that Emily would win this round through a type disadvantage, but the battle was just getting started. Max chose Feraligatr as her next Pokémon. She had him attack with Hydro Cannon. Max knows Undine will get her strength back because of her special ability, but she wanted to make it a fair fight. It wouldn't have been fair if she beat Undine because she was worn out after that last battle. Of course, after using Hydro Cannon, Feraligatr can't move for a while. But that was enough time for Emily to land an attack. Undine jumped and began smacking Feraligater in the face with her tail. Feraligatr grabbed her tail in his mouth and used Crunch. He also gripped her in his claws and tossed her towards the rocks.

Emily called Undine back and sent Lumina into battle. Feraligatr used Hydro Cannon again, but Lumina ducked and avoided it. After that, she used Confusion to attack Feraligater. He became confused and had a hard time understanding Max's commands. Lumina attacked with Psychic and knocked him out.

Max called Feraligatr back and sent Houndoom to take it from here. Emily called Lumina back and sent Salamando to take her place. Houndoom made the first move by attacking with Dark Pulse. Salamando dodged and used Flamethrower. Unfortunately, Houndoom's special ability was Flash Fire and his attack power was raised. He used Dark Pulse again and defeated Salamando.

Emily sent Lumina back into battle. Max decided to stick with Houndoom. She had her canine attack with Dark Pulse, but Lumina saw it coming and dodged with ease. Her psychic attacks woudn't work, but she could still attack with Swift. It was a good thing Emily practiced battling with Kaiba's Houndoom several times since her journey to the Silver Conference. She had a plan to end this. Lumina did a back flip in the air as she avoided Houndoom's Dark Pulse and she hid behind the rocks to avoid damage. And because Lumina was slick and swift, she could fool Houndoom by showing up in a different direction. But this attack wasn't Swift. She gathered the energy around her and focused it into an attack called Last Resort. And with that, Houndoom was taken down.

Max called Houndoom back and chose Hypno as her next Pokémon. Hypno used Hypnosis and lulled Lumina to sleep. There was no way for Lumina to avoid that attack. She fell asleep on the ground and Hypno drained her strength by using Dream Eater. She also used Nightmare to drive her into madness and take what was left of her energy. Lumina was no longer in any condition to continue battling.

Emily chose Shade as her next Pokémon. Hypno's psychic attacks wouldn't typically work on dark-type Pokémon like Shade, but that combo would. Max withdrew Hypno and sent Sudowoodo back into battle. Sudowoodo was about to attack, but Shade landed a sneak attack by using Sucker Punch. Sudowoodo had no idea what happened or where that attack came from. As he looked around, Shade used Faint Attack and Assurance. Shade was just too fast for Sudowoodo to catch. He tried to attack again, but Shade landed another Sucker Punch. Sudowoodo couldn't take any more.

Max sent Hypno back into battle and Emily sent Undine back into battle. Hypno kept trying to hypnotize Undine and lull her to sleep, but Undine kept her eyes closed. Emily was just going to have to be Undine's eyes. She guided her to Hypno and had her use Aurora Beam. Hypno tried to dodge, but her feet got stuck in the ice. She also lost her grip on her pendulum as Undine smacked her hand with her tail. Undine was free to open her eyes again. She used Water Pulse and defeated Hypno.

Max was down to her last Pokémon. She tossed her Pokéball and called on Tyranitar. Undine was the only Pokémon who had a type advantage against Tyranitar and she was going to fight with everything she had left. Emily also noticed that Tyranitar was wearing a brace on his body with a Mega Stone. There was no denying Max was going to tap into the power of Mega Evolution. She and Undine were just going to have to end this fast. Undine made the first move by attacking with Water Pulse. Tyranitar used the rocks in the field to protect himself. He also used Hyper Beam. The attack blasted through the rocks and landed a direct hit on Undine. After taking all of those hits, it was no surprise that she couldn't take any more.

With Undine out of commission, Emily decided to take a chance with Shade. Tyranitar couldn't move after using Hyper Beam, so that gave Shade the chance he needed to attack. He charged towards Tyranitar and bit down on Tyranitar's arm. Tyranitar caught him and tossed him across the field. He also attacked using Earthquake. Shade tried to get his balance back, but could not get back on his feet. As the tremors of Earthquake subsided, Shade fell in defeat.

Emily was down to her last Pokémon. Luna was the last of the siblings and they were all counting on her. Max couldn't take Emily or Luna seriously. What chance does the blonde hope of having by pitting a little Pokémon like Eevee against a massive Pokémon like Tyranitar? It was time to put that matter to the test and what better way to do so than by tapping into the power of Mega Evolution? Max placed her fingertips against her Keystone. Tyranitar's Mega Stone reacted to the power of Max's Keystone, allowing him to Mega Evolve.

This was going to be like the battle of David and Goliath. Luna, a little Eevee, against a giant of a Pokémon. He was big, but Luna's spirit was bigger and so was her faith. And as long as she believed in herself and in her friend, she couldn't lose. Luna attacked with Shadow Ball, but Tyranitar waved it away with his arm. He attacked once again with Hyper Beam, but Luna dodged by running under Tyranitar. The massive Pokémon tried to bend over, but fell forward. Luna approached Tyranitar and bit down on his ear. Tyranitar cried out and tried to shake Luna off. Luna lost her grip and was sent flying across the field. Tyranitar got back on his feet and attacked with Earthquake. Luna tried to keep her balance, but kept falling over. Tyranitar took this chance to attack with Hyper Beam, but Luna avoided it just in time. The rocks in the field got blasted and were raining down on Luna. She saw a stone and kicked it towards Tyranitar, hitting him in the face. The head is still a delicate part of the body even for a rock-type. As he was trying to recover, Luna used all of her strength to knock Tyranitar down. Tyranitar fell back and the effects of Mega Evolution wore off. The match was over.

Max called Tyranitar back into his Pokéball. She smiled at Emily and said, "Congratulations. You've won."

The blonde could hardly believe it herself. Her Pokémon fought against very strong Pokémon of higher levels and they all came through. Faith really was an important key in winning.

That night, Max asked Emily to meet up with her at the lake. "So you're leaving?" Emily wondered.

Max shook her head. "Not quite. I think I'm going to hang around with you and the guys for a little while. We've got a lot of catching up to do."

Emily was pleased to hear that. "I'm glad to hear that."

Max was glad in the same way. "You know, whenever I think I've got you figured out, you surprise me." To explain what she means, she tells Emily, "I never expected anyone with a Pokémon party like yours to defeat mine. I guess Pokémon are full of surprises like you and me."

Emily agreed. "It's like I always say: 'Don't be fooled by what you see.' Because when you're too quick to judge, you start to notice the unexpected and that's what makes it fun and worthwhile."

"That's why I'm not disappointed that I lost to you," said Max. "In fact, I'm happy because of what you and I have accomplished. By fighting you with all I had in an ultimate battle of intellect and power, you gave the same in return. You did all that I hoped and expected you would."

"In the end, is that what it's always about?" Emily wondered.

Max nods and says, "You and I are fierce rivals, but we're also friends. Through our battles and trials, we're helping each other just like in the ancient past. And that's the only way you and I are going to end this. I just hope the Great Goddess and the Dark Lord will realize that."

"So do I," said Emily. "And when that time comes, we'll still be friends. The Battle of the Gods won't change that. I won't let it."

It was just natural for the girls to feel this way. Despite their differences, they understand each other because they care about each other.


	48. A Home Away From Home

A Home Away From Home

Sad to say Emily was not victorious in her next Pokémon battle. Her Pokémon were overwhelmed by the might of a fierce dragon Pokémon trainer with dragons of different regions. But it was nothing to be upset about. It was a great experience and the journey itself was worthwhile and fun. The heroes became Pokémon trainers and they all learned and saw so many new things.

"It's time to go home," Yugi declared.

Joey agreed. "Back to our world."

It wasn't time yet. Emily had one last promise to fulfill. She received a call from Professor Oak and the sanctuary was finished and ready. They were all waiting for her to announce the opening. She was looking forward to seeing it and taking her Pokémon to the home she promised them. Max was interested and wanted to check it out. They took a plane back to New Bark Town where they could take a boat ride to the Kanto Region.

As they boarded the boat, the heroes stood by the ledge as they watched the horizon. "I can't believe we spent a whole year in this world," said Joey. "I'm excited to go home, but we should come back and do this again. We can see the rest of the Regions like the Kanto Region."

Kaiba agreed. "I'd like to see the great dragons of the Unova Region."

"And the history of the Hoenn Region," Yugi added.

"We can check out the Kalos Region too," said Emily.

"I'd like to take a vacation in the Alola Region," Max added.

There would be plenty of time to see the rest of the world. They could return any time they wanted to now. "Well, we're off," said Yugi.

"Yep, and who knows," Kaiba wondered. "There may be other adventures over that next horizon."

Max agreed. "Anything's possible."

"We're living proof," said Emily. "We became part of a whole new world and had an adventure together."

"And I think that calls for a special tune," said Joey.

Yugi agreed and began singing. _A magic feeling, it's grown so strong_

 _Always leads me to a place where I belong_

 _Won't go away, never lets me down_

 _I've got the greatest friends that ever could be found_

 _Across every river, behind every tree,_

 _On top of every mountain, they're a part of you and me_

 _One world,_ his friends sang.

 _One world, now and forever, best friends_ , Yugi sang

 _Best friends_ , his friends echoed.

 _Loyal and true_ , Yugi sang, _one dream_

 _One dream,_ his friends echoed.

 _Put side by side,_ Yugi sang.

Altogether, they sang, _There's nothing we can't do. One hand_

 _One hand, helping the other, each heart,_ Yugi sang.

 _Each heart_ , his friends sang.

 _Beating as one_ , Yugi sang, _we live_

 _We live,_ his friends echoed.

 _Always together,_ Yugi sang.

 _Sharing the same bright sun,_ everybody sang. _One world, you and me and Pokémon_

Emily raised her voice and sang, _They rush like water, they soar like the wind_

Yugi held her hand and sang, _They're always with me every day that I begin_

Kaiba took his turn and sang, _They burn like fire, they chill like ice_

 _They take on any challenge, make any sacrifice_ , Joey sang.

Altogether, everyone sang, _Across every river, behind every tree_

 _On top of every mountain, they're a part of you and me_

They repeated the chorus as they continued their journey.

The boat finally arrived in Pallet Town. They quickly headed to the outskirts where Professor Oak was waiting. When they got there, they were amazed. The farm was three stories high with a hayloft and it was as big as a family restaurant from the inside. There was also a lake to swim in and a field full of crops to tend to so the Pokémon would have food to eat.

Emily took the scissors and declared, "I declare this sanctuary for lost and abandoned Eevee open!" And she cut the ribbon and the Eevee ran to check it out. Already they were feeling comfortable and at home. Even Adam and Mary admired the accomodations. "Do you like it?" Emily asked them.

"I love it," the Glaceon said appreciatively.

"It's the perfect place for our children and new friends," said Adam. He turns around and tells Emily, "You really are a girl of her word. We knew we could trust you."

"Thanks, but none of it would have been possible without Professor Oak and Officer Jenny and her colleagues and the construction workers." Emily gave them her attention and thanked them all for her help.

Even Undine and her siblings were content. "For the first time, we have a home as a family."

"And Emily's a part of it," said Lumina. "It's the home she gave us and can share with us."

"And she can come back here to visit us anytime," Salamando added.

"She'll have more adventures too and will be able to tell us about them," Luna added.

"And we can start over again as a family," said Shade.

Together, the siblings began singing _, Come away, come away, and your heart will understand_

 _Yesterday flies away, but tomorrow's in your hand_

 _Come away, come away, there's a place that is grand in that you can be_

 _Like once upon a time with me_

Emily heard them and invited herself to join in. _Once upon a time, we were flying_

 _Once upon a time, we were free_

 _Life once let us go_

 _As far as we could go_

 _Always remember once upon a time with me._

The siblings repeated the chorus and Emily sang again. _Once against the odds, we were winners_

 _We were all we dreamed we could be_

 _You touched night and day_

 _And made them go our way_

 _Once upon a time with me_

 _When we lived our lives like a story_

 _And the story ends what will be_

 _Where this life will go, I don't pretend to know_

 _Please don't forget that once upon a time with me_

The siblings repeated the chorus once again and Emily added, _When one story ends, there's another_

 _It's all up to us, don't you see_

 _You say let's begin and I say once again_

 _And you'll find it's not once upon a time_

 _But here and now and you and me_

Touched by the song, the siblings surrounded Emily and hugged her and she hugged all of them back.

After spending the night at the farm, the heroes were rested and ready to go home. The Eevee rescue farm would provide the best care for the siblings and their friends. They had a home and a family again and they also knew that Emily would return soon. They didn't belong in her world, but they would still dream and have wonders about it. The boys would also leave their Pokémon in Professor Oak's care.

The heroes came to the forest between Pallet Town and New Bark Town where their journey begin. "I thought that the place where we were sent would also be the same place that would lead us home," Joey wondered.

"The Great Goddess said that if we concentrate, the door to the Secret Garden will open for us," said Emily.

"We walked though an alley to find the Secret Garden in our world," Yugi was saying. "Maybe we can do the same thing in this world."

"Good idea," said Max. Pallet Town was a small town, so there wouldn't be too many alleys. But there would be small spaces between houses. Perhaps it would work on the same principle. They walked through the darkness of the corridors and found themselves back in the Secret Garden.

"It worked," said Yugi. "We're back!" And he and his friends cheered.

Emily stopped cheering. "Um, guys, I think we have a problem." She shows them two identical doors in front of them. One door led to home and another door led to another world. And there was no telling which door would lead to where because they looked exactly the same. "What do we do?"

Max had a solution. "I guess we have no choice. We have to split up."

"Split up?" Joey repeated.

"Look, only one of these doors will lead to home, right? So whoever gets sent to a new world, the other team can come and find the first." Her logic was reasonable. Seeing that the boys understood, Max already arranged how the group should be paired. "Okay, Yugi, Joey, Kaiba, you guys take one door and Emily and I will go through the other door together."

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked.

Emily agreed. "It's better the both of us. If we get sent to a new world, it doubles our chances of finding the Cobalt Star shard and getting back easily. And if you guys wind up in another world, we can come get you."

The boys agreed and decided to go with the plan. They took the door on the right while the girls took the door on the left. They passed through the light together.

When the light stopped, Yugi, Joey and Kaiba looked around. The buildings looked familiar and they also noticed that they were back in their original clothes. Kaiba was back in his dark clothes and white jacket, Joey was back in his blue shirt and jeans, and Yugi was back in his school uniform. They also found out that they were standing in front of the Domino museum. "It worked!" Joey cried.

"We're home!" the boys cheered.

Yugi suddenly gasped. "But if we're home, then that means Emily and Max are in another world."

Joey and Kaiba realized it too. "Should we go back for them?"

"Wait a minute," Kaiba said as he held up his hand. "I think we should wait, guys. We just got back and we don't know how things have been in town since we left. I say we check out the city first and find out what we've missed. I know it'll mean we'll have a lot to catch up on, but we should take care of things now that we're here."

"Good point," said Joey. "I hope the girls will be able to hold on long enough."

"So do I," said Yugi, with a lingering feeling of worry.

* * *

 **Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba have returned home to their world, but what strange new world will Max and Emily wind up in? Until then, tune in to the next adventure.**


End file.
